


Love is not Extinct

by k_fandom



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:53:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 57,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26489737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/k_fandom/pseuds/k_fandom
Summary: Two years ago Tsukishima Kei thought that he had his whole life figured out. But with a single phone call everything changed. For better or for worse this twenty-four year old man was living a life he never had expected. But the twists and turns of life are not over yet. What will Tsukishima do when suddenly he finds himself having to deal with matters of the heart? (AU Fic)
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 22
Kudos: 40





	1. The Train Station

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coucou mon petit choux!
> 
> Thanks for visiting my story and I hope that you enjoy reading "Love is not Extinct".
> 
> A few quick things before you start reading:
> 
> \- I do not own the characters of Haikyuu!! all credit for the character creation goes to Haruichi Furudate. I do have a few OC's in this FanFictions but the majority of the characters are from the anime and/or manga.
> 
> \- I will try and keep to a consistent posting schedule (depending on my course load for the week) and I hope to post a new chapter every Monday. 
> 
> \- This story is an AU where the characters, though still the same as the original work, do not have the same interactions and history with each other as they do in the original work.
> 
> \- I will try to make notes at the end of each chapter with information about terms and honorifics that may be used in this story for your reference. If you have any questions or find and error in my information, please message me and let's help each other out.
> 
> \- And of course, I love to hear from readers! Please feel free to make comments and message me if you would like. I write FanFiction as an outlet for my writing when I am unmotivated with my own work or just want to do something fun (usually because I have become obsessed with a particular fandom at the moment and can't get enough of it [*shrug* sorry, no sorry]). With that being said, if you do wish to leave a comment or send me a message, please stay positive. I am happy to take constructive criticism because I want to learn and grow as a writer but please don't be vicious. And I especially ask you not to bully or make fun of anyone else who might comment on my stories as well. Well all come here looking for things to let us escape into another world even if it's just for a short time so please don't ruin that for someone else by doing something stupid.
> 
> And with that, enough said! Let's get to the story. Happy reading and thank you all for your support!

Tsukishima Kei stood on the platform of the train station feeling his irritation grow by the second. The air in the station was hot and muggy and there were far too many people packed down here, all of them antsy to get home. He closed his eyes taking a deep breath but instantly regretted the decision. The smell of the sweat and fuel made his nose wrinkle with disgust.

He really hated the commute home at this time of day. It was so troublesome.

Finally, he saw the train pulling up and he looked down at his watch with a sigh. 17:18, "About time." He mumbled under his breath as he could hear the squeaking of the trains breaks over the music playing through his headphones. Once the train came to a full stop, the doors opened and people began to shuffle forward, eager to embark.

Tsukishima was focused on his goal: to get onto the train so he could get home sooner and be done with this tedious task. He was so focused in fact that he didn't notice the commotion to his left. He didn't notice the man running and pushing his way through the crowd in his direction as he was being chased by two officers. No, Tsukishima didn't notice any of this until the man shoved his way past him, grabbing the gentleman just in front of Tsukishima who had just stepped onto the train and throwing him backwards, right into Tsukishima.

The tall man hit Tsukishima with a thud, sending them both flying backwards. The impact of his back hitting the concrete knocked the wind out of the blonde while the dark-haired man on top of him hissed a curse as he stumbled to untangle the two of them and roll off Tsukishima.

The world spun around Tsukishima as he slowly sat up. He could feel a hand on his shoulder and a mumbled voice over the music in his ears asking him if he was alright. Tsukishima blinked a few times as he reached up and readjusted his glasses. The blurs around him came into focus just in time for him to see the doors of the train closing and the two officers pounding on the side of the train in vain. Then, just like that, the train started pulling off and Tsukishima was left on the filthy platform floor having no choice but to wait another twenty minutes for the next train.

Why did this have to happen to him? And why today of all days? It was Friday, finally the weekend, and all Tsukishima wanted to do was get home so he could get out of his suit and try to relax and enjoy the start of his weekend. And now this unfortunate turn of events would not only hold him up an extra twenty minutes, but it also made him unable to fulfill an obligation. And that was what stressed him out the most.

How annoying.

Once more Tsukishima felt the light touch of someone grabbing his shoulder and the muffled sound of someone talking. Pulling down his headphones to rest around his neck, he finally looked up at the man who had been tossed into him, who was now kneeling next to him.

"Hey, are you alright?" the man asked. His raven hair covered one of his eyes and his brows were scrunched up with concern. The man's hair also stood up in every direction and Tsukishima honestly couldn't tell if this was his normal style or if the incident had really jostled him up that much.

Tsukishima grunted in response as he reached up, rubbing the back of his head. Thankfully, it seemed that he hadn't hit the back of his head too hard. One small miracle for the day. The dark-haired man stood up and reached out his hand for Tsukishima.

"Here. Let me help you."

"I'm fine." Tsukishima said waving his hand to reject the man's hand. He didn't need or want anyone's pity; the incident itself was enough of an annoyance for him to deal with. With another grunt Tsukishima stood up gathering his bag and dusting himself off as one of the officers approached him and the stranger standing next to him.

"Hey, are you two alright? Do you need medical attention?"

Tsukishima's eyes flicked over to the officer with disinterest and forced himself not to roll his eyes or blame the officer like he wanted to. He knew it wasn't really the man's fault, though he wished the officer had taken greater care at doing his job so this situation could have been avoided.

"No, I'm fine but thanks officer…" the dark-haired man paused his sentence for just a split second, his eyes flicking down to the nameplate on the officer's uniform. "…Koganegawa-keibuho. But I'm not sure about Grumpy-dono over here. He is the one who hit the ground. He kind of cushioned my fall, honestly."

The raven-haired man looked over at Tsukishima with a crooked grin which Tsukishima returned with a glare before looking back at the officer with a sigh.

Officer Koganegawa looked up at Tsukishima with concern as he reached for his radio. Tsukishima held up his hand to stop him. "No, I am fine. I didn't fall that hard and I do not need any medical assistance."

The officer watched him concerned for a moment before he smiled and nodded, making his bleached hair bounce and the oddly styled dark patch in front sway back and forth in its upright position. Tsukishima raised a judgmental eyebrow at the ostentatious fashion choice. "Alright then. Just let me know if you change your mind." Then the officer turned in the direction of his large, white-haired partner who was currently trying to keep the mob of stranded passengers at bay. "Aone-sama! Hold down the fort. I'm going to call the captain and tell him what happened."

The tall officer met eyes with his partner and nodded without saying a word, then he looked down at the crowd of people. Lifting his arms, officer Aone used his height and intimidating features to get the crowd to step back and stop pushing each other without uttering a single word.

Next to Tsukishima the dark-haired man chuckled. "He's like a wall of iron, isn't he?" He turned his head to look at Tsukishima to find him already turning away, choosing to ignore him.

Going over to where it was less crowded Tsukishima found an empty bench against the back wall and sat down. He pulled out his phone and sent out a text.

 **[17:29] Tsukishima Kei:** _Hey there was a delay at the train station. I'm going to be about 30 minutes late._

Tsukishima leaned his head back closing his eyes with a sigh. He tried hard not to let the irritation bubble over inside him. These types of things are bound to happen. It was a short delay, not the end of the world. He looked back down as his phone vibrated indicating his friend's quick response.

 **[17:30] Yamaguchi Tadashi:** _Dang that sucks LOL Sorry Tsuki. Don't worry about it we will see you when you get here_

The intercom on the train platform dinged, signaling an announcement was about to be made. The crowd quieted slightly as a woman's voice began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are sorry for the current delay. Due to an unforeseen incident all trains have been stopped until the issue can be resolved. We don't expect this to take long and we appreciate your patience. Thank you for choosing to ride with us today."

The intercom clicked off followed by the increased murmuring of customers now stranded on the platform. And all of them whose destination was too far to walk and who didn't want to spend the money on a cab, like him, were now at the mercy of the unknown timetable of the train schedule. Tsukishima balled his hands in fists on his knees.

How irritating.

 **[17:33] Tsukishima Kei:** _Apparently I spoke too soon. They have stopped all the trains so I am not sure when I will be able to get there_

 **[17:33] Yamaguchi Tadashi:** _Yikes!_

 **[17:34] Yamaguchi Tadashi:** _Why dont we just meet at your place then. Haru and I can hang out there and that way you dont have to go out of your way and can just come straight home_

Tsukishima was still bothered by this whole situation, but Yamaguchi's solution did relieve some of his stress. He would have to repay him for using up his free time to help out. He just hoped that he wouldn't be stuck here too much longer.

 **[17:37] Tsukishima Kei:** _Thanks_.

Tsukishima's attention was drawn away from his phone by the presence of someone taking a seat next to him on the bench. He looked over to see the same man who had been thrown into him pulling off his coat and getting comfortable. He wore a red button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top few buttons undone. The shirt was not tucked into his dark jeans. A very casual outfit for someone coming home from work; Tsukishima figured he must not work in a business office.

When the man noticed Tsukishima looking at him his impish grin returned. "Well hello again gumpy-dono."

And with that simple comment Tsukishima decided that it was best to just ignore him. Turning forward, he reached up to put his headphones on once again.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" the man said reaching out and putting his hand on Tsukishima's shoulder. When he was sure he had Tsukishima's attention again he smiled. This time the smile was more friendly and less mischievous, but Tsukishima didn't trust that. "I'm sorry, I was just teasing. Trying to start up a conversation, you know?"

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow, looking up at him unconvinced. "Do you usually insult people to start up conversations?"

"I wasn't trying to insult you. And yes, usually a joke works. But, never mind, let's just start over." He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a sleek black business card. "My name is Kuroo Tetsuro. It's nice to meet you."

Tsukishima held back a sigh and took the card looking down at it. The company logo was in the top left-hand corner of the card in blocky orange and red letters that read: 'inSport! Magazine.' Underneath this was his name, position – Pro-Sports Journalist – and contact information. This explained his outfit and attitude in Tsukishima's mind.

Reluctantly Tsukishima put Kuroo's card into his bag and pulled out his own business card, handing it to the man. He didn't really want to give out his information to this stranger, but it was a social obligation to return the favor when someone gave their card to you.

Kuroo took the card with a smug grin and he looked down, reading it out loud for some reason Tsukishima couldn't understand. "The Aoba Johsai Museum of Art and History. The famous Seijoh museum, huh? Nice. Tsukishima Kei, Paleontologist. Whoa! Impressive." Kuroo looked back at the blonde pocketing his card. "So, you must travel a lot and visit old historical sights for work, right?"

"No." Tsukishima replied flatly, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

"No?" Kuroo echoed with a question. "Then what is it what you do?"

Tsukishima fought the urge to just get up and walk away, but he responded without looking over at the other man or even opening his eyes. "I am an on-call paleontology principle investigator. I do research, analysis, and write reports."

"I'm sure that's interesting work." Kuroo continued, either ignoring the fact that Tsukishima clearly wasn't interested in making conversation or completely oblivious to it. "I spend about half of my time travelling around the country with my job and the perks of getting into all those sports events for free is awesome. But that also comes with the chore of research, writing, and reviewing articles to meet deadlines. But I can't complain."

"It sure sounds like complaining. Also, I don't recall asking."

Kuroo chuckled, unphased. "You, my friend, have quite a sharp tongue."

Tsukishima cracked one eye open, turning his head to the side to glance at the raven-haired man. "When did we become friends?"

"I'd like to be."

"Why?" Tsukishima sighed. Such a bothersome man.

"Because you seem interesting." Kuroo pulled out his phone, reading a text and replying before standing up. "I like to have a variety of types of people in my friend group. It makes life so much more fun. My friend is here to pick me up. Do you want a rided so you don't have to wait for the train?"

Tsukishima reached up putting his headphones back over his ears. "No," he replied. It was tempting. He wanted to get home and be done with this stupid commute, but he wasn't stupid or reckless enough to get a ride from a complete stranger.

Kuroo shrugged as he put his jacket back on. "Alright then. Suit yourself." He began to walk away with a wave. "Talk to you later."

"I sure hope not." Tsukishima mumbled under his breath as he turned on his music, trying to block out the world.

In the end it was a full hour before Tsukishima was finally able to board the train and head home. It was about halfway through his ride home when the first text came.

 **[18:47] Unknown Number:** _Hey this is Kuroo! Hope you have been able to board the train by now_

Tsukishima chose to ignore the text. He didn't really want to continue to deal with this man. He figured if he continued to not respond to him the guy would give up on trying to be friends. Instead he opened his messages to text Yamaguchi.

 **[18:48] Tsukishima Kei:** _Hey, I am about 20 minutes away from home._

It wasn't long begore his phone vibrated with his friends reply.

 **[18:53] Yamaguchi Tadashi:** _Great! We have just been hanging out watching TV I raided your cabinets to make dinner I hope you dont mind_

Tsukishima smirked as he replied

 **[18:53] Tsukishima Kei:** _A little late to be asking for permission don't you think?_

 **[18:55] Yamaguchi Tadashi:** _Sorry Tsukki_

 **[18:56] Tsukishima Kei:** _It's fine. I was just teasing. I don't care._

Tsukishima frowned, remembering the strange sports magazine journalist who had said the same thing to him earlier. But why did that matter? Yamaguchi was a long-time friend. Teasing and joking with him was normal. But with someone you just meet? No, that was definitely not normal. And what was with the sudden desire for Kuroo to add Tsukishima to his list of friends?

As if sensing his thoughts, Tsukishima's phone vibrated once more.

 **[18:59] Unknown Number:** _Have you always wanted to work in a museum?_

 **[19:00] Unknown Number:** _That just seems like they type of things people usually want for a long time._

 **[19:03] Unknown Number:** _Do you like dinosaurs?_

Tsukishima glared at his phone in annoyance. How infuriating. This guy was really persistent. Ignoring the texts once again he put the phone in his pocket and got off the train, turning to head down the street towards his apartment building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -san: the English equivalent is "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Ms.". This is a gender neutral word and is the most common honorific used.
> 
> -sama: this honorific doens't have a direct translation but adds a higher level of respect. Most often used for people in high ranks or customers.
> 
> -dono: this traditionally means "lord/master" but is less respectful than -sama. You usually only hear this word in old samurai movies or between family and friends as a joke.
> 
> -keibuho: meaning inspector. (police officer)


	2. The Hatchling

Tsukishima stepped into his apartment, shutting the door behind him. “I’m home,” he called out as he pulled off his coat, hanging it up with his bag as he slipped out of his shoes. The warm air inside was refreshing after being outside in the cold winter night. He could smell the remnants of dinner still lingering in the air and could hear soft sounds coming from the television in the living room.

Walking down the hall, he made his way towards the sounds. His apartment wasn’t large or fancy, but it was clean and well kept. It was big enough for his needs with two bedrooms, a shared bathroom, and a living space that doubled as a dinning area.

When he walked into the living room, he found two people sitting at the kotatsu watching a volleyball match. The first was Yamaguchi, who sat hunched over, resting his head on his arms, his rouge strand of hair sticking up stubbornly, as usual.

Yamaguchi turned and looked up at him with a smile. “Welcome home.”

“Welcome home, otousan.” Tsukishima looked over at the other person in the room. His brown eyes meeting an identical pair that peaked out under the boy’s mess of wavy brown hair. “We made you dinner.”

The boy pointed to the plate in the middle of the table waiting for him. He could tell it had been warmed up; Yamaguchi had probably made sure to heat it up right before he got home.

“Thank you Haru-kun.” Tsukishima walked over and placed a gentle hand on his son’s head before taking a seat so that he could eat. “Did you and Yamaguchi have fun?”

“Mmhum,” Haruhisa hummed and nodded, resting his chin in his hand and turning his eyes back towards the television. “I helped him make dinner and Yamaguchi-sensei let me watch a movie while we ate.”

“Did you finish your homework?”

Yamaguchi looked up as he straightened. “Hey, you do know I am a teacher, right?” But Tsukishima ignored him, instead he looked back at his son, waiting for his answer.

“Yes.” Haruhisa replied. He shyly looked up at his father with hesitation. “Well most of it…I haven’t done my reading yet.”

Tsukishima raised a brow. “Should you be watching T.V. if your homework isn’t done?”

“No…” the boy looked down and pouted.

“So, what should you do then?” Haruhisa looked up at his father meekly before standing up.

“I’ll go get my book.” The boy quickly left the room to grab his backpack.

“Tsukki.” Yamaguchi spoke softly to get his friends attention. “You should take it easy on him.”

Tsukishima looked back at his friend slightly annoyed. “I wasn’t harsh, that’s the rule. He knows it, and so do you for that matter. Weren’t you just pointing out the fact that you are a teacher?”

The teacher smiled at his friend while Haruhisa came running back in the room with his backpack. “Tsukki.” Yamaguchi’s voice was barely a whisper. “He didn’t do his reading because he begged me to let him wait till you got home. Suga gave him a new book in class today that is a higher reading level and I think he was really excited to show you and wanted you to be the one to help him.”

Yamaguchi reached over, turning off the television as Haruhisa came back over, sitting down and pulling out his new book. He seemed a bit nervous but also excited as he started to read to himself, softly whispering the words to help himself sound out the ones he wasn’t sure of.

Haruhisa had been a part of Tsukishima’s life for almost two years now. It wasn’t something he had expected, and it definitely hadn’t been something he had planned on. He had just graduated college and had managed to get the job he had been wanting at the museum. He thought he had everything figured out when out of the blue he received a call from a law office …

_“I am trying to reach Tsukishima Kei.”_

_Tsukishima furrowed his brows as he tried to balance his phone between his shoulder and his ear as he was packing up his things to head home from work. “This is Tsukishima. May I ask who is calling?”_

_“My name is Washijo Tanji and I am an attorney at the Shiratorizawa Law Firm. I am calling on behalf of Akiyama Shimakura.”_

_That name stopped him in his tracks. Slowly setting his stuff back on his desk, he took the phone back into his hand, more confused than ever. “Akiyama? I haven’t seen here in six years, not since she graduated from high school. What is it she wants from me?”_

_The last thing he needed was some old fling trying to cause drama. But what on earth could she want that would require involving a lawyer? He had been sixteen and they had only dated, if you could even call it that, for about four months before she graduated and left for university. He hadn’t heard anything from her since, and he had hardly cared._

_Washijo cleared his throat before continuing. “I apologize. I assumed you would have been informed.” He paused in hesitation before he continued. “Akiyama was involved in an accident last week and she didn’t make it.”_

_Tsukishima sat down in his chair, too shocked to speak. This was the last thing he had expected to hear, and he didn’t know quite how to process it. It wasn’t like losing her would make a difference in his life. He hardly ever thought about her. Yet still, hearing of her passing made him sadder than he would have imagined._

_“I…I’m really sorry to hear that. What did you need from me?”_

_“Well we at Shiratorizawa were placed in charge of handling her will. She doesn’t have any known living family other than her son, who she left everything to. But as her son is still young, her will instructed us to contact the boy’s father.”_

_“She has a son?” Tsukishima asked, trying to wrap his head around all the information that had just been dumped on him. “Wait, I am confused. If her will says everything goes to her son than why are you…” The realization hit him like a brick._

_Tsukishima was quiet for a long time as he tried to recover from the shock. Akiyama was dead? She had a son? The son was his? The facts just didn’t seem to make sense. It was like his brain couldn’t compute the facts. He was a father?_

_Washijo waited patiently for Tsukishima to continue, allowing him the time he needed to process everything. “How old is he?” Tsukishima finally asked, his voice sounding small and unfamiliar to him._

_“He is five. His name is Akiyama Haruhisa.”_

_Tsukishima had never wanted kids. He really didn’t like them either. And he most definitely had not asked to be put in the situation he was now in. Only two days ago he had found out he had a son and now here he was, standing in a social worker’s office with the attorney Washijo, looking through a large window into a playroom with about half a dozen children._

_Sitting in the middle of the room at a small table was a boy with messy brown hair and sad brown eyes coloring by himself. Tsukishima had told the attorney he wasn’t really fit to be a father and that he was sure the boy would be better off in foster care. That way he could find a good family to take him in. The boy had gone his whole life not knowing Tsukishima and he didn’t think suddenly having a father in the picture would make what he was going through any easier._

_But Washijo has insisted that he at least meet the boy first before making his decision. So here he was, standing outside the room where his son sat, feeling like a nervous wreck._

_“Go on in and say hello.” Washijo encouraged, nudging Tsukishima towards the door._

_Tsukishima reached up rubbing the back of his neck before reaching out to open the door and stepping into the playroom. The room smelled like an old, musty classroom and, with all the children running around, it was louder and more chaotic than Tsukishima cared for. But, with resolve he strolled over and knelt next to the small table where Haruhisa sat. The sooner he talked to him, the sooner her could leave._

_The little boy looked up at him with big, curious eyes. The intensity in them made Tsukishima feel slightly uncomfortable. “Hello,” he said lamely._ How do you talk to children anyway? _He was not equipped to handle this._

_“Hello,” the child responded. “You’re really tall.”_

_“Uh…” Tsukishima didn’t know how to respond to that unprovoked assessment. “Yeah, thanks. Uh, do you mind if I sit next to you?”_

_The boy seemed to consider this for a minute before nodding and turning his attention back to his coloring. The following silence was awkward, for Tsukishima at least. Little Haruhisa didn’t really seem bothered by the silence or Tsukishima’s presence as he continued to draw._

_“What are you drawing?”_

_Haruhisa reached over to grab a green crayon, not even looking up as he answered. “Rex-chan.”_

_“Rex-chan?” Tsukishima echoed puzzled. The boy looked up at him, setting down his crayon, and pulled up a stuffed animal that he had been holding in his lap, showing it off proudly. It was a green cartoon-style tyrannosaurus-rex that was clearly well loved by the boy._

_“Rex-chan,” the boy repeated._

_“I see.” Tsukishima responded awkwardly._ How did you have a conversation with a five-year-old? _He racked his brain for something, anything to say. “Tyrannosauruses were amazing hunters. Their senses were much stronger than ours to make it easier for them to hunt.”_

_Haruhisa looked down at the stuffed Rex-chan curiously. “T-rexes can smell better to find their food?” he concluded with a question._

_“Not only that but they had amazingly good vision - like binoculars. And really good hearing.” Tsukishima sighed internally, wondering why he was getting into all this with a child. But to his surprise the boy’s face seemed to light up as he looked down at his stuffed toy with a new fascination._

_Haruhisa hugged Rex-chan to his chest looking back up at Tsukishima. “I like dinosaurs.”_

_Tsukishima smiled softly. “I like dinosaurs too.”_

Tsukishima watched Haruhisa’s expression as he scrunched his brows together trying to sound our a particularly difficult work. In the end, Washijo had been right and Tsukishima hadn’t been able to just walk away from his son. After a lot of reassurance from his mother, brother, and sister-in-law that they would help him out, as well as Yamaguchi’s encouragement that he would help get Haruhisa enrolled in after school programs to keep the boy busy while he was at work, Tsukishima finally agreed and took full custody of his son.

“Is that a new book?”

Haruhisa looked up at his father, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he lifted it up to show Tsukishima the cover. “Yes.” He smiled. “Sugawara-sensei said I’ve been doing a good job with my reading and he gave me a new book. He said this one has a lot more big words in it.”

Tsukishima smiled softly, reaching over and ruffling his son’s hair affectionately. “That’s good Haru-chan. Why don’t you read it to me while I finish dinner and I can help you with any words you don’t know.” Haruhisa nodded, putting his book back down on the table as he started the book from the beginning once more, reading it aloud for his dad.

Yamaguchi ended up staying the night. Haruhisa let him sleep in his room and Tsukishima let his son sleep in his bed. It was close to midnight when Tsukishima and Yamaguchi decided to turn in for the night. They were both going to the sports center in the morning to play volleyball with the local adult club.

Haruhisa was fast asleep when Tsukishima stepped into the room. He was carful to be quiet as he moved around in the dark, so as not to wake the boy. Pulling off his shirt, he tossed it in the hamper and laid down, pulling out his phone to check it before he plugged it in. He had four unread text messages.

 **[20:25] Unknown Number:** I’m kind of starting to actually worry. Are you just ignoring me or did something happen to you?

 **[21:47] Unknown Number:** Are you not answering because I asked about dinosaurs? Did I offend you dino guy?

 **[21:51] Unknown Number:** I am so drunk…save me from myself lol

 **[21:59] Unknown Number:** This is Kuroo’s friend. Sorry he had been bothering you I am taking his phone until he is sober enough to think straight again.

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, reaching over and plugging his phone in before taking off his glasses. He was comfortable, and after a long day, he was finally about to drift off to sleep when he heard the vibration of his phone on the nightstand and a pale bluish light filled the room.

He groaned in annoyance, checking his phone to find a new message from an unknown number. He flipped his phone face down and rolled back over onto his side just wanting to go to sleep. But five minutes later the phone buzzed again. Tsukishima tried to ignore it but after the fifth time it went off he sat up, frustrated. Picking up his glasses he unlocked the phone to read the messages.

 **[00:07] Unknown Number:** Hey listen, I’m sort about spamming you with texts. I’m just glad someone took my phone away from me before I said anything worse. Really I had just wanted to make sure that you got home okay. Sorry again. 

**[00:12] Unknown Number:** If I promise not to text so much can we start over?

 **[00:13] Unknown Number:** Honestly I’m not trying to be creepy I just find you really interesting and just wanted to get to know you more.

 **[00:20] Unknown Number:** You know I’m really starting to worry something happened to you on the way home

 **[00:42] Unknown Number:** Please just text me back just to let me know you are alright

Tsukishima felt his hands shaking with annoyance. Why did this guy have to single _him_ out as his target to harass with his unsolicited friendship?

 **[00:48] Tsukishima Kei:** Yes I am home and fine. Now stop sending messages to me in the middle of the night or I won’t hesitate to block your number.

Honestly, he was really tempted to block his number regardless. He didn’t want to deal with this. Kuroo’s response came back in less than a minute.

 **[00:48] Unknown Number:** Ok. Glad to know you are okay. Talk to you later!

Tossing his phone and glasses back on the nightstand, Tsukishima fell face first into his pillow with a groan.

How annoying…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Otousan – Father  
> -kun - is most often used for younger boys, it’s not exclusive. The meaning expresses respect for someone of “lower” status than you or, most often, younger than you.
> 
> Also just a heads up in preparation for next month, I decided that I want to do something fun for October (because it's fall, and Halloween, so basically the best month of the year.) I am going to do a Halloween Fandom Challenge, so basically everyday during the month of October I am going to write a one-shot that is Halloween related and post it. The challenge of this is that each day has to be a one-shot from a different fandom, not just different characters from that fandom. So wish me luck! Also if you want to join in on this please do, and let me know so I can read your work or see your Art.


	3. The Volleyball Club

“Okay but just hear me out!” Tanaka said jumping up from where he had been sitting to stretch before they played. “We were discussing wedding plans and I suggested that we have a volleyball net at the reception. Isn’t that the coolest idea ever?”

His question was met with silence and blank stares. 

“Aww, come on.” Tanaka complained, looking down at his wild, orange-haired teammate who was sitting on the gym floor next to him, stretching. “Not even you, Hinata? I thought for sure you would be on my side. It’s a great idea.”

Hinata smiled and laughed shyly as he reached up, scratching the back of his head. “Sorry Tanaka-san,” he sympathized. “I do think that sounds really cool but I get hired for a lot of weddings so I’m pretty familiar with what people usually want at them, and volleyball…well volleyball is not really a wedding appropriate activity.” 

“I know that,” Tanaka countered, trying to sound as if he hadn’t been worried in the first place. 

“Plus,” Nishinoya Yu jumped to his feet, stretching his arms above his head. “I don’t think that Kiyoko would agree to that. What did she say when you told her your idea?” 

“Well…” Tanaka looked up trying to not look suspicious. His teammates looked back and forth at each other. They all knew exactly what that meant. 

“I said no.” 

Tanaka jumped, spinning around to see a beautiful dark-haired woman with calculating eyes, carrying a box of sports equipment. It was Shizimu Kiyoko, the Kurasano Community Sports Center’s event manager and Tanaka’s fiancée. 

“Kiyoko!” Tanaka squeaked as he smiled and ran over to her. “Here let me carry this for you,” he offered though he didn’t really give her much of a choice as he took the box from her. 

“Good morning Shizimu-san.” Sawamura Daichi, a police officer for the city and the team’s unofficial team captain, smiled at the sports center’s employee. Kiyoko replied with a simple nod of acknowledgement. 

“I take it the wedding planning is going well?” Sugawara Koshi asked. 

“Yes.” Kiyoko nodded with a small smile. “Everything is going very smoothly.”

Tanaka beamed with pride as he stood up straighter next to his bride-to-be. “Kiyoko has everything all organized in this wedding planning binder. It even has schedules and a to-do list.” The team chuckled and Kiyoko smiled shyly, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Her cheeks flushed slightly pink from embarrassment. 

“No surprise,” the newest member of their team chipped in. Ennoshita Chikara was invited to join the club by Sawamura after the officer had seen Ennoshita for physical therapy due to a work injury about a year prior. Ennoshita also happened to have gone to high school with Kiyoko. “She was always prepared and organized as the manager of our high school’s volleyball team.” 

“I’ve seen her wedding planning binder. It’s really organized.” Hinata grinned. “She brought it with her to the flower shop when her and Tanaka were deciding on their floral arrangements for the wedding. She had pictures of arrangements and flowers she liked as a reference and everything. It made my job really easy.”

Kiyoko’s cheeks flushed and she mumbled a thank you before turning back to Tanaka. “I need to get these items to the storage room.” She said reaching to take the box back, but Tanaka kept it from her. 

“No. No.” He grinned at her. “I’ll take it for you.” He then proceeded to walk forward, Kiyoko in tow. On their way out they passed Yamaguchi who was rushing in with Haruhisa, followed by Tsukishima strolling in at a leisurely pace. 

“Sorry we’re late!” Yamaguchi exclaimed, running over to the rest of the team. 

“Good morning Yamaguchi.” Sugawara said with a smile as Tsukishima finally made his way over, joining the group. “Good morning Tsukishima and Haru.” His smile was especially bright when he looked at his young, first grade student. Maybe it was the fact that he was Tsukishima’s son, but among all his students, Haruhisa had always held a special place in Sugawara’s heart. 

“Good morning Suga-sensei.” Haruhisa replied with a bow as Nishinoya went over, ruffling the boy’s hair. 

“Hey, little man!” Nishinoya grinned. “How are you doing today?” 

“I’m good.” Haruhisa smiled. 

Kneeling next to him, Nishinoya put his hand on the child’s shoulder. “How would you feel about helping me coach today, humm?” Haruhisa’s eyes brightened as he nodded enthusiastically. “Great! Okay I’ll be team captain of team…what should we call our team?” He put his hand on his chin, looking down at the boy thoughtfully. 

“Uh…” Haruhisa pondered this for a moment. “The crows!” Sugawara smiled at the response. They had been learning about birds in school recently and the book he had given Haruhisa yesterday had a crow on the front cover. 

“Perfect!” Nishinoya exclaimed, putting his hands on his hips. “I am team captain of the crows with coach Haru-kun and we will be playing against…” He knelt next to Haruhisa once again looking out at all his teammates. 

Suwamura shook his head holding back his chuckle. “Notice how quick he was to nominate himself as team captain?” he said to Ennoshita. Ennoshita nodded with a grin. 

Haruhisa scanned the players in front of him, taking great consideration in who he would choose to be the opposing team’s captain. After a short deliberation he looked over and pointed at Yamaguchi with determination. “Yamaguchi-sensei!” 

Yamaguchi looked around a little flustered. “Me? You want me to be the second team captain?” Despite being the high school volleyball coach, the idea of being the leader among these men, who he felt were a lot more talented than him, was intimidating. 

“That was a good choice.” Sawamura smiled encouragingly at Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi stepped to the front as Tanaka came back in. 

“Alright Yamaguchi, you pick first since we already have our first two players.” Nishinoya said, winking at Haruhisa.

Normally in this type of situation Yamaguchi’s first choice would be to pick Tsukishima. They had been best friends since childhood and he knew Tsukishima would have his back. But with Haruhisa on the other team he didn’t think it was fair to take his father when Haruhisa would likely want to have him on his team. So, he went with the safest next choice. 

“Uh, I’ll pick Daichi.” 

Sawamura smiled and walked over, joining Yamaguchi on his side of the net, patting his back for encouragement. 

As Yamaguchi had predicted, Haruhisa’s next choice was his father. Tsukishima walked over, joining his son and Nishinoya. Tsukishima watched as the older man knelt next to his son and the two strategized the best members to have on their team. The sports youth program teacher was always good at making sure that Haruhisa felt included even though he was surrounded by adults. 

In fact, all of the members of this adult volleyball club had been a huge support system for him since he started taking care of his son. Tsukishima wasn’t really good at expressing gratitude. He was mostly full of sarcasm and witty come backs, but he hoped the men on this team knew the difference their friendship had made in both his and his son’s lives. 

Once all the team members were chosen, they each moved into their positions. On team “ _crow_ ”, Nishinoya, Haruhisa, Tsukishima, Sugawara, Tanaka and Azumane. And on team “ _panther_ ”, which had been insistently named by Hinata, was Yamaguchi, Sawamura, Hinata, Ennoshita, Kinoshita and Narita. 

The teams were fairly well matched. Team _crow_ had more of the stronger players but also had to compensate for the minor on their team. In the end they played five sets total. The crows won three and the panthers two. Harushia was excited about winning and was proud that he had even received a few balls during the game. 

“Hey, Tanaka and I were talking, and we want to get everyone together tonight and go out to a club. You two in?” Nishinoya asked. Yamaguchi looked up at Tsukishima as if expecting him to answer for the both of them. 

“I can’t,” Tsukishima replied. “It’s a Saturday night. It would take a miracle to find someone to watch Haru last minute just so I can go out and get drunk.” 

“Not just get drunk,” Nishinoya whined. “Dancing, good drinks, and even better company. And hey, maybe even a hook-up!” He playfully nudged Tsukishima with his elbows, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. 

Tsukishima stared down at him with a blank expression. “If you’re so eager to hook-up go do it, but you don’t have to drag me along. Plus, I already said I can’t because of Haru.” 

“We would be happy to watch him.” Tsukishima turned around, surprised and a bit disappointed to see Sawamura standing there with his gym bag slung over his shoulder. “I can’t go because I promised Yui that I would help out with the baby tonight. So, he can come to our place while you’re out.” 

Yamaguchi smiled. “How are Yui and little Tenshi doing?” 

Sawamura grinned at just the mention of his four-month-old little girl. He had loved becoming a father, and that fact was clearly evident. “Great. Yui loves being a mother and is such a natural at it, and Tenshi is such a good baby. Maybe I am just biased, but I’ve never seen a cuter baby.” Sawamura grinned. 

“Every parent is biased,” Sugawara interjected with a soft smile. “But I have to agree, Tenshi is so adorable and well behaved. She isn’t a big fusser. It makes watching her a breeze.” 

“Well that’s settled then!” Nishinoya said cutting off the conversation, determined not to let the subject drop and to make sure Tsukishima joined them. “Daichi will watch Haru-kun and you will meet us at twenty o-clock tonight at the _Niji Hikari_ club.” Nishinoya walked away as if the subject was closed. 

Tsukishima sighed, looking over. His son was helping Hinata and Tanaka clean up the court. He didn’t mind spending time with his friends, but the idea of going to a club didn’t seem like an ideal way to spend the evening. He watched as Yamaguchi walked over to help the trio finish cleaning up the court. 

Yamaguchi would never say it, because he wouldn’t want Tsukishima feeling like he was pressuring him, but Tsukishima could tell Yamaguchi was excited to go out. He knew that it meant a lot to Yamaguchi that the blonde would be going with them. 

“I guess it won’t hurt,” he mumbled to himself as he walked over to Haruhisa to tell him it was time to go home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -san: the English equivalent is "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Ms.". This is a gender neutral word and is the most common honorific used.


	4. Club Niji Hikari

Yamaguchi was excited. It wasn’t often that Tsukishima agreed to go out to a place as crowded as a club. Sure, he went out with his other friends and had fun, but it wasn’t the same as hanging out with Tsukishima. They had been best friends since they had met in elementary school. 

Their group stood outside, waiting in line to get into the club; the beat from the music inside was loud enough to be heard outside. Yamaguchi looked up at Tsukishima who stood next to him. He wore a pair of black jeans and a white t-shirt with the black print of a tyrannosaurus skeleton on the front. The shirt had been a gift from Yamaguchi a few years ago for Christmas and it made him happy to see he still wore it. 

Tsukishima looked away from Yamaguchi’s phone which he held in his hand and looked down at the slightly shorter male with a raised brow. He had given his own phone to Haruhisa when they had dropped him off at the Sawamura home. Yamaguchi had told Tsukishima he could keep his phone on him in case Haruhisa needed to contact him; the boy knew that it was the best number to text if he needed anything. 

“What?” Tsukishima asked as their group finally made it inside the club and could take off their coats as they waited in the shorter line to pay for entrance and get their wrist bands. 

“Nothing.” Yamaguchi smiled as he slipped out of his coat and Tsukishima looked down at his shirt, almost as if he had forgotten what he was wearing, before looking back at Yamaguchi. “Of course, I do. It’s my favorite shirt,” he started very matter-of-factly. 

Yamaguchi was grateful that the lighting inside the club was darker, and with the constant changing colors he was sure his friend couldn’t see him blush at the comment. 

“Did you get fashion advice from Asahi?” 

“Huh?” Yamaguchi looked down at his outfit – faded blue jeans, and an off-white t-shirt under a steel blue vest which was left unbuttoned. “Does it look weird?” He was anxious to know the answer. 

“No,” he replied simply as their group stepped up to the counter. “You look good.” 

Once again Yamaguchi was extremely thankful for the club lighting to hide his very red cheeks. 

“Welcome to Niji Hikari!” the front desk employee greeted as she flipped her bright blonde and pink hair behind her shoulder. “Once you’ve paid here, step over to the wristband booth and pick your color, and you’ll be able to enter the club.” She motioned to the other employee, a man with dark spiky hair and multiple piercings in his ears, who was handing out wristbands to patrons before allowing them to enter the club. 

On the wall behind him was a large board with a title written in blocky text and vibrant, rainbow colors that read: 

_CHOOSE YOUR COLOR!_

Beneath the title was a paragraph explaining the clubs wrist bands followed by a list of what each color meant: 

_Choose your wristband color based on your preference in partners. Don’t forget to always have your wristband visible for others to see!_

_Blue – Interested in men_

_Green – Interested in men but open to other partners_

_Yellow – Bisexual_

_Orange – Interested in women but open to other partners_

_Red – Interested in women_

_Purple – Asexual_

_Black – In a relationship_

_White – Open for anything!_

Nishinoya was the first to go up to the counter. He wore one of his favorite clubbing outfits – a pair of dark green, skinny jeans with distressed holes in the knees and thighs, a clean pair of white converse shoes, and a white tank top with black bold lettering that read: _‘Rolling Thunder’_. He paid for both his and Asumane’s entrance fee, despite the taller man’s protests, and walked over to get their wrist bands. 

“Two blue wristbands.” 

You didn’t have to be able to see the color of Azumane’s cheeks to know he was blushing. But they all also knew that Azumane was grateful to Nishinoya for his boldness because, unlike Nishinoya, he was terribly shy and reserved. He would have been too embarrassed to do this himself. 

The employee looked at Azumane to confirm that he did in fact want a blue wristband. Azumane nodded in confirmation, tucking a strand of his long brown hair behind his ear, and scrunching up the sleeves of his grey V-neck shirt, held out his right arm for the employee to put the band on. Then both men made their way into the club. 

Kinoshita and Narita followed next, both requesting a red wristband, followed by Ennoshita who requested a black wristband. 

“You and Aihara are getting pretty serious then, huh?” Sugawara smiled, coming up behind Ennoshita after paying for his entrance. “Blue please,” he said to the club employee. 

“Serious enough to be exclusive,” Ennoshita replied with a smile. “I’m not in a rush but I think there is something there.” 

“Well congratulations!” Tanaka patted Ennoshia hard on the back as he and Kiyoko both got their black wrist bands and the small section of their group made their way into the club to join Nishinoya and Azumane. 

The remaining four members of their group stepped up to the counter. Hinata walked up first, each of his steps almost a bounce because he was so full of energy. The orange shirt he wore almost made his hair not so obnoxiously bright. 

“Yellow please.” Hinata smiled brightly then looked at Yachi, who fumbled as she tried to pay the lady and bowed her head apologizing multiple times. 

She held her wallet to her chest as she looked up at the board to pick the right color. She wore a white spaghetti strap shirt that changed colors every time the lights shifted, tucked into a sparkly, baby blue skirt that came down to her mid thighs. “Uh, can I have a blue wristband please?” 

Tsukishima chuckled low behind Yamaguchi, which caused the brunette to look back at his friend curiously. “She can’t do anything without getting flustered.” 

Yamaguchi looked over at Hinata and Yachi as they walked into the club together. “You’re right.” Yamaguchi laughed lightly. “It’s funny to watch her get all flustered over everything.” 

Yamaguchi watched Tsukishima as he looked up at the board, reading the colors before requesting an orange band. It made Yamaguchi wonder how open his best friend really was. He had never seen the blonde show even the slightest interest in men. In all honesty, he hardly even showed a heavy interest in women. Tsukishima obviously preferred women, they would talk about them. And Yamaguchi remembered when Tsukishima met Akiyama, Harushia’s mother. The two of them talked about her a lot since it was the first sexual partner Tsukishima had ever had and at the time Yamaguchi had no experience.

The memory of their high school years made Yamaguchi smile. The two of them had been attached at the hip since they had met in elementary school Tsukishima was always there for him. In elementary he stood up for him and protected him from bullies until Yamaguchi could be strong on his own. In middle school Tsukishima was his greatest support as Yamaguchi was struggling to come to terms with his own sexuality. Tsukishima hadn’t even flinched when Yamaguchi came out to him. Yamaguchi had been so worried about telling his best friend, worried he would be grossed out and not want to be around him. Instead the blonde had just smirked at him and teased him about a boy in their gym class he had noticed Yamaguchi talked to a lot. 

Yamaguchi had tried to tell him he didn’t like anyone, but Tsukishima saw right through his lies. But he never pushed the subject, and Yamaguchi had never had the guts to tell the blond that he was the one that Yamaguchi had always been in love with. Especially once they started High School and Tsukishima got involved with girls. 

But despite everything, one thing had never changed, Tsukishima was always by his side. And no matter what happened, as long as he could stay close to his friend, he would be happy. 

“Oi, Yamaguchi.” Tsukishima’s voice startled Yamaguchi out of his thoughts as he looked back over at his friend. “Stop spacing out and grab your wrist band.” 

“Sorry Tsukki.” He blushed, walking over to the counter, mumbling for a blue bang as he held his hand out. 

Tsukishima put his hand on Yamaguchi’s head, guiding him into the club. “Come on airhead,” he said, releasing his grip as they walked through the crowd. “If I am going to make it through the night, I need to get myself a drink.” 

The club was packed. Colored lights danced on the bodies as they pressed and grinded against each other. The smell of sweat and alcohol filled the room as the body heat from the patrons radiated off the dance floor. Yamaguchi found it exciting but also overwhelming. Tsukishima on the other hand, walked through the people with a straight expression, looking bored as they made their way upstairs to the wrap-around balcony where Nishinoya had reserved a couple tables for their group. 

“Whoo hoo!” Nishinoya said, jumping and pumping his fist in the air as he looked over the railing, down at the crowd, as Tsukishima and Yamaguchi arrived. “The club is jiving tonight! We are going to party hard!” Hinata and Tanaka joined in on his second howl of excitement. 

Tsukishima just rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Idiots.” Yamaguchi smiled. 


	5. The Sawamura Family

Haruhisa sat on the couch in the Sawamura’s living room playing a game on his father’s phone. They had turned a cartoon movie on the T.V. and Daichi was on the floor playing with little six-month-old Tenshi who was giggling with delight as her father dangled a toy over her with a grin on his face.

“I got you a pillow and blanket.” Yui said with a smiled as she put said items down on the couch next to him. “Those boys like to stay out really late so it will be way part your bedtime by the time your father will get home.”

“Okay.” Haruhisa replied without looking up and then thought better of it, remembering he promised his father her was going to be good and treat the Sawamura’s with respect. Looking up at Yui he smiled. “Thank you, Auntie.”

Her eyes sparkled when she smiled as she reached over ruffling his hair. “Why don’t you go brush your teeth and get ready for bed while we put Tenshi to bed and then you can pick a movie to watch okay?”

“Okay!” Haruhisa nodded quickly scrambling off the couch and heading to the bathroom excited that he was going to be allowed to stay up later than normal.

After changing into his pajamas and brushing his teeth Haruhisa walked out of the bathroom going to head back to the living room to pick what movie he wanted to watch but stopped when he overheard Daichi say his fathers name while speaking quietly from Tenshi’s nursery.

“Tsukishima has been that way as long as I’ve known him. And he doesn’t like people getting in his business. Don’t meddle Yui okay?”

“I know. I know.” She assured her husband. “I just worry about him. I can’t imagine what it must be like being a single parent. I couldn’t handle having to take care of Tenshi without you.”

Haruhisa frowned. He had never known what it was like having two parents. When he was little his mom had raised him on her own. Then when his mom died, he went to live with his dad. For the past two years since he had been living with his had he had never seen his dad with anyone other than friends. He never had a girlfriend. Was his dad alone because he had to work too hard to take care of him?

“The right person will come along eventually.” Daichi assured his wife.

“I just hope Tsukishima will be ready to let them in when they do.”

Haruhisa rushed down the hall and back into the front room as he heard the couple start to make their way out of their daughters’ room. Kneeling in front of the T.V. Haruhisa picked the first movie that looked interesting and pulled it out.

“Did you find something you wanted to watch?” Daichi asked with a smile.

“Yes.” Haruhisa said with a nod holding out the D.V.D. case with a group of cartoon dinosaurs on the cover. Daichi chuckled not surprised by the boys choice in movie as he took the D.V.D. from his and went to put it in while Haruhisa went over climbing onto the couch and setting up his pillow and blanket to get comfortable.

Once the movie started and Daichi made sure that Haruhisa was all settled the man left the room to join his wide in the kitchen. Haruhisa ley on his side pulling his dad’s phone down next to him when he noticed there was an unread text message that hadn’t been their earlier. Curious he opened it up and slowly read the text.

 **[20:47] Unknown Number:** Hey! How are you?

He wondered who this was. His dad had texted him before but didn’t save the number. After thinking for a moment, he deiced to text back curious about this unknown person.

Slowly and carefully he typed out a response.

 **[20:59] Tsukishima Kei:** Tsukishima does not have his phone now. He is out with friends. Who is this?

The response was almost instant.

 **[21:00] Unknown Number:** This is Kuroo Tetsuro. Who is this?

 **[20:05] Tsukishima Kei:** My name is Akiyama Haruhisa.

 **[21:07] Unknown Number:** Well hello Akiyama! Why do you have Tsukishima’s phone?

 **[21:11] Tsukishima Kei:** He left his phone with me. He had Uncle Tadashi’s phone to text me.

The response was a little slower this time as the sender clearly took time to type his answer.

 **[12:19] Unknown Number:** How old are you Akiyama-san?

 **[21:21] Tsukishima Kei:** I am seven years old.

As Haruhisa sent the text he wondered if his dad would be mad at him for texting someone on his phone. Did this count as talking to strangers? His father hadn’t put the Kuroo-san’s contact information in his phone, but his dad knew him. He figured that made it okay.

 **[21:23] Unknown Number:** Are you Tsukishima’s son?

 **[21:25] Tsukishima Kei:** Yes

“Haru-kun?” Daichi called his name as he and Yui walked back into the room. Haruhisa put down his dad’s phone and looked up at the mand as Daichi leaned over the back of the couch to look down at the boy. “Yui and I are going to out room. I’ll come and check on you in a little bit. Once the movie is over, turn off the T.V. and come get us if you need anything okay?”

Haruhisa nodded. “Okay.” Then turned his attention back to the T.V. while the couple retired to their room. He continued paying attention to the cartoon until he felt his father’s phone vibrate again. Looking down he saw there were two messages from the unknown number, Kuroo Tetsuro.

 **[21:25] Unknown Number:** Cool! I bet it’s awesome having a father who works at Seijoh museum.

 **[21:26] Unknown Number:** Are you home with your mom then?

Haruhisa furrowed his browns and felt a bit sad thinking about his mother. He missed her. Sometimes he wondered if his father missed her too. Tsukishima had always been honest with Haruhisa about how he met his son’s mother. He had told him he was young, and they meet in high school. Haruhisa knew his parents had never lived together and that his mother had never told Tsukishima about him. Though he had still been very young he could remember clearly what she would say to him when Haruhisa asked about his father…

_...His mother knelt in front of him pulling her long wavy brown hair over one shoulder before running her fingers through his messy locks, her soft brown eyes looking into his own eyes filled with love._

_“Your dad is a very special man, but he had his own live, just like you and me have out own live.”_

_“Does daddy not love us?” Haruhisa would ask his big chocolate eyes staring up at her with uncertainty. He could clearly remember the way his mother’s ruby red lips would twist into a careful smile though he never understood what that look meant._

_“No sweetie, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you.” She leaned over kissing the top of his head. “I think your father would love you very much. But me and your dad, well we liked each other but we never loved each other.” …_

…He thought about these memories of his mother before finally taking the time to type out the answer.

 **[21:36] Tsukishima Kei:** No. When I was five years old my mom died. Mom and dad was not married.

 **[21:38] Unknown Number:** Oh I’m sorry for your loss kid.

Before he could reply to Kuroo the phone vibrated in his hand and the notification banner at the top showed that his dad has sent him a text. Clicking on the notification it opened the messages between his father and Yamaguchi.

 **[21:38] Yamaguchi Tadashi:** Are you still up buddy?

 **[21:40] Tsukishima Kei:** Yes. I am watching a movie.

 **[21:41] Yamaguchi Tadashi:** Daichi was nice to let you stay up and watch a movie. Make sure that you thank him.

 **[21:42] Tsukishima Kei:** Ok

 **[21:43] Yamaguchi Tadashi:** I will stay at Yamaguchi’s house tonight and I will see you in the morning.

Another text came in right after, this time with a photo.

Haruhisa clicked on the image to open top open it up. It was a picture of the group his dad was out with tonight colored with the colorful lighting. In the front kneeling on the floor were Hinata and Tachi, sitting behind them at the right end of the table sat Ennoshita, Kinoshita and Narita with arms around each other and Sugawara stood behind them with one hand on his hip.

On the left side of the table sat Kiyoko with Tanaka sitting behind her, one arm tightly around her waist. Behind them stood Azumane who looked like he was about to fall over because Nishinoya had jumped on his back. And in the middle in the back stood his dad, that familiar board expression on his face, shoulder to shoulder with Yamaguchi who stood with a bright happy grin. All of them held out their drinks as if cheering to him.

Haruhisa smiled. These people were like him and his father’s family and he loved them all.

 **[21:45] Yamaguchi Tadashi:** Goodnight Haru

 **[21:48] Tsukishima Kei:** Goodnight. I love you.

 **[21:49] Yamaguchi Tadashi:** Love you too buddy.

Haruhisa was tarting to get tired and it was hard to keep his eyes open. He closed the messaging app before he remembered he hadn’t answered Kuroo’s message. She he opened it back up and found he had sent another message while Haruhisa had been texting his father. 

**[21:45] Unknown Number:** Do you happen to know where you dad and his friends went out tonight?

 **[21:26] Tsukishima Kei:** I don’t know. They sent me a picture from the place.

 **[21:56] Unknown Number:** That would work!

 **[21:57] Unknown Number:** Can you send that to me? I might be able to figure out from the picture.

It took Haruhisa a few minutes to send the picture, but he managed to figure it out. He set the phone next to him and curled up in the blankets his eyes drifted closed. By the time the reply text came in Haruhisa was fast asleep.

* * *

Kruoo lay back on his bed holding up his phone as he examined the picture Tsukishima’s son had sent him. He looked at each face in the photo attempting to get an idea of the type of people Tsukishima hung out with. Though he couldn’t really tell from the picture the group seemed like a very diverse group of people.

Zooming in on the table he searched for something that might help him figure out where they were at. Perhaps a logo on a napkin or glad. Unfortunately, he didn’t see anything like that. But as he was zooming back out he noticed the wrist bands on their wrists and the different colors. “Oya! Oya! Oya!” an idea popped into his head.

Quickly rolling out of bed Kuroo made his way to the front room of his apartment where he knew he would find his roommate playing a video game.

“Oi, what was that club called that Inuoka was talking about the other day? The one with the different colored wrist bands?”

His friend didn’t even bother to look up at him as he eyes remained focused on the screen. “Club Niji Hikari.”

“That’s it!” Kuroo exclaimed as he plopped down next to the smaller male nearly making him fall over. Pulling up his internet, Kuroo searched for the club to look up information and location. “Open till 4:00, in the heard of the west side district, we welcome all come pick you color to state your preference and dance the night away.” Kuroo mumbled to himself as he read through the website.

Kenma Kozume watched his roommate with a blank expression. What was he getting all worked up about now? Pausing his game he leaned over to see over the taller man’s shoulder to find him zooming in on a picture of a group of people Kenma didn’t recognize.

Kruoo sighed. “Dang his wrist isn’t visible in this picture.”

“Is he wearing a dinosaur skeleton tee-shirt.”

His friend smirked almost looking proud. “Yeah, isn’t that cool. He is a paleontologist, works at the Seijoh museum downtown.”

Kenma looked at his friend raising an eyebrow. “Is this the ‘cute, grumpy’ guy you met yesterday because of the incident at the train station?”

“Yeah.” Kuroo leaned back against the couch zooming the picture back out to examine the other group members again but he just found his eyes keeping getting drawn back to the tall blonde. What was it about this sour puss that fascinated him so much? Then his eyes shifted to the slightly shorter freckled man standing next to him. Though all the group looked really close there was a difference about the way this guy stood by Tsukishima. It was almost as if he was the only one truly at ease around the blonde. The others around him stood close but not toughing. But freckles stood flush up against the paleontologist as id this was where he belonged.

“Kuroo…” Kenma sighed.

“What?” Kuroo looked over at his roommate with an innocent expression that Kenma wasn’t buying. Reaching down Kenma scratched the head of the calico car who was rubbing against his leg seeking attention. The two had adopted the car together when they had first moved in together after Kenma had graduated High School. They had been roommates for nearly six years now and friends much longer than that. After all these years Kenma knew his friend extremely well.

“For someone so intelligent sometimes you can be really dumb. Don’t do this to yourself.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Kuroo picked up that cat who meowed with surprise before settling in his lap happy to get the attention.

Kenma shook his head putting his controller down completely to look at the man. “You know exactly what I am talking about, Kuroo would you stop petting Pansa as an excuse to avoid the topic and listening to me.”

The younger male waited until he was sure he had his senpei’s full attention before he continued.

“you are doing it again. You are getting yourself to invested in someone you are interested in before you even know them. This is how you get hurt Kuroo.”

“I’m not.” Kuroo promised. “I’m interested yes, but I am not getting invested prematurely. I just want to get to know him.”

Kenma wasn’t convinced but he could tell there would be no talking him about of this. His friend really was interested in this paleontologist and he had made up his mind that he was going to get to know him. And Kenma knew better than anyone that once Kuroo Tetsuro made up his mind about something there was no one who could talk him out of it.

“And on that note,” Kuroo stood up letting Pansa jump out of his lap with an annoyed meow. “I am going to go check out this club Niji Hirkori. I’m going to text the gang to see if anyone else if interested in coming.”

Kenma pressed his lips together as he watched Kuroo composing his text as he walked back towards his room to decide what to wear. He prayed that Kuroo was being truthful and that he wasn’t letting his interest cloud his judgment. He didn’t want to see his friend get hurt again.

Standing up, Kenma turned off his game and put away his controller before heading to his own room to change. He was pulling a hooded sweatshirt over his head when his phone started buzzing with texts from ‘ _the gang’_.

Living in this building for so long Kenma and Kuroo knew most everyone in the building. It was mostly bachelors, a few apartments with college girls and the few sweet old ladies on the first floor. Over the years a group had formed with some of the guys in the building that had been dubbed the Nekoma Apartments Gang. Kenma opened up the ongoing group text to read the flurry of messages.

 **[22:16] Kuroo Tetsuro:** Hey! Any of you still up and want to hit the town tonight? 23:00 @ Niji Hikari

 **[22:17] Habia Lev:** Count me and Yaku in!

 **[22:18] Yamamoto Taketora:** Whoo! Yeah!! Let’s party!

 **[22:18] Shibayama Yuki:** sure

 **[22:19] Inuoka So:** Sure. I’m down.

 **[22:19]Yaku Morisuke:** wtf Lev!? Why are you speaking for me??

 **[22:20] Inuoka So:** lol

 **[22:20] Yamamoto Taketora:** BAHAHAHAHA!! BUSTED!!!

 **[22:21] Habia Lev:** But it will be fun Yaku

 **[22:21] Yaku Morisuke:** Stop texting and open the bathroom door to talk face to face!

Kenma could hear Kuroo’s laughter form his room in response to the text. He simply shook his head grabbing his keys and his wallet as he headed towards the door to grab his shoes.

 **[22:22] Kozume Kenma:** I’ll DD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -san: the English equivalent is "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Ms.". This is a gender neutral word and is the most common honorific used.  
> -kun: is most often used for younger boys, it’s not exclusive. The meaning expresses respect for someone of “lower” status than you or, most often, younger than you.


	6. Out Clubbing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I was late this week on posting this chapter. It's been crazy we have finally opened up here and I was able to start seeing clients again this week so between that and school it was hectic. Plus the editing took a little longer than normal because I have to edit out some of the parts of this chapter for my beta reader before she could edit (because I must protect my little innocent bean of a sister at all costs! ;p) So again, sorry! Hope you enjoy this chapter and you are enjoying "Love is not Extinct" in general! I look forward to hearing from you what you think. Thanks for your support!

The whole club was vibrating with the beat of the music and after a few drinks Tsukishima felt like he could loosen up enough to enjoy it despite the crowds. Not that his demeanor showed it. He and Yamaguchi sat at a small table next to the railing, across from the large corner booth that the other members of their group who were not dancing were sitting.

Yamaguchi snickered as he looked down at the mob of people dancing on the floor below. "Well, Hinata is easy to spot. Everytime the song drops a heavy beat he starts jumping so high you can see him above the crowd."

"Tch." Tsukishima clicked his tongue as he took a sip of his drink, watching the orange-haired man bouncing through the crowd. Once he found him, it was easy to spot the other members of their group that were on the dance floor. Nishinoya especially, was already sloshed and shamelessly grinding against not only Azumane, but any living, breathing being who dared to come too close to him. "You would think he wouldn't want any more attention. With that stupid hair and that bright shirt he looks like a bloody traffic cone."

Yamaguchi snorted, nearly choking on his drink as he covered his mouth, laughing. "I know. I have never understood his thing for bright shirts." Tsukishima shook his head in baffled agreement with his friend's statement.

"Excuse me."

Both men looked up to see a man dressed in dark jeans and a fitted balck shirt that accentuated his sculpted muscles. His blonde hair was styled with an undercut and spiked on top. Each ear was pierced with a black stud and he wore a confident smirk on his lips.

Next to him stood a woman in a red dress with thin straps on the shoulders. The dress was fitted around her bodice and down to her waist before flaring out at the waist, coming to a few inches above her knees. She wore a pair of matching red heels that made her only an inch or two shorter than her male companion. Her light brown hair framed her face and her big eyes sparkled with the reflection of the dancing club lights.

"My friend and I were hoping the two of you would be up for some dancing," the man continued as he eyed Yamaguchi with hungry eyes. Tsukishima could see the white band around his wrist and glanced over to see the woman was wearing a blue one.

Looking back at Yamaguchi, Tsukishima raised an eyebrow with an unspoken question. His expression made it clear to Yamaguchi that it was his call and Tsukishima would dance with the girl if his friend was interested in this guy.

Yamaguchi looked back up at the man once more, weighing his decision in his mind. He wasn't looking to start anything, he had never been able to commit to a guy. But this guy was honestly gorgeous and it might be nice to get out on the dance floor. Plus, he was flattered by the look in the man's eyes. Out of all the people in this club, this attractive man had sought him out. Yamaguchi wasn't used to that.

"Yeah," Yamaguchi replied, taking one last sip of his drink as he stood up. "That sounds fun."

The man grinned, pleased. Holding out his hand to gesture that Yamaguchi should lead the way. Tuskishima stood, putting his hand on the woman's back as they made their way to the dance floor. Yamaguchi followed, his new dance partner closely behind him, large firm hands ghosting along his waist.

As they reached the dance floor and began to move through the crowd Yamagushi felt the man press up against him from behind. "Let me know if I make you uncomfortable." His warm breath tickled Yamaguchi's neck and ear, and sent a shiver down his spine. "I tend to be a very physical person and you are just so beautiful. I don't know how much i'll be able to resist."

Yamagushi's cheeks flushed as he felt the man's hands grip more firmly on his hips and start to sway to the music against him. Glancing over, he saw Tsukishima and the girl dancing not far from them. They weren't dancing as close as his partner was to him, but Tsuishima had his hands on her hips, and from the way the woman moved, Yamaguchi could tell she wouldn't mind more contact with the tall blonde. And with that thought, Yamaguchi looked away, determined not to ruin his night over a woman dancing with his friend.

And it wasn't hard to be distracted with the sexy, well-built man pressed so close against him. Yamaguchi could feel every move he made.

"My name is Terushima Yuji." His hot breath danced along Yamaguchi's skin, tickling his neck and ear. "But you can just call me Yuji, babe." He adjusted his hands, sliding them forward to rest more on the front of Yamaguchi's hips and gently pressed him back, pushing their bodies closer together.

Yamaguchi sucked in a breath at the sensation. The pair was nearly matched in height, Yamaguchi being just barely taller than his companion, allowing their hips to line up perfectly.

"Yamaguchi Ta-tada-shi." Yamaguchi stuttered his own name out as Terushima began to grind and roll his hips against Yamaguchi shamelessly.

Terushima hummed in approval, his lips against Yamaguchi's neck as he slid one hand from his hip down slowly onto the front of his thigh, firmly gripping the well defined muscles of the coach's leg. Yamaguchi felt himself instinctively pressing back against his dance partner as the man's warm lips trailed slowly up his neck, whispering his name slow and sultry, saying each syllable with a deliberate sensual tone. "Ta. Da. Shi."

The brunette's head began to spin as he was lost in the sensations that this man riled up in him. It had been a very long time since Yamaguchi had been close like this with anyone. Terushima seemed to know exactly how to move, just how to touch him, and just the right words to whisper to make Yamaguchi forgot about anything else in the world but that moment.

So, though it was out of character for him, after dancing to only a few songs, Yamaguchi found himself being willing to be dragged away from the center of the crowd and back into a more secluded corner under the stairs that led to the second level balcony.

Terushima pushed Yamaguchi up against the wall with controlled force as he pressed their lips together, not waiting any time to run his tongue across the brunette's lips, and forced his way into Yamaguchi's mouth greedily.

Yamaguchi didn't resist.

In fact, he gladly accepted it, opening his mouth with a soft moan, rolling his own tongue around the other man's and tasting the faint remnants of alcohol. Terushima slid his hand into the brunette's hair, pressing more firmly against him which caused Yamaguchi to adjust his stance, allowing the other man's thigh to slide between his legs and their hips to press firmly against each other.

Terushima smirked into the kiss before pulling back, his lips peppering painfully slow kisses along Yamaguchi's jaw until he reached the coach's ear lobe and nipped at it playfully. "Clearly someone is very satisfied with my skills. Humm Tadashi?"

Yamaguchi blushed and opened his mouth to protest Terushima's bold statement when the man rolled his hips firmly against Yamaguchi and all he could let out was a moan. His vision went fuzzy for a moment at the sensation that shot through him at the contact.

His companion took his response as approval and began to grind against Yamaguchi, thrusting his hips against the Brunette. One of Terushima's hands slid down firmly cupping Yamaguchi's behind while his other hand boldly slid under the fabric of Yamaguchi's off-white tee-shirt, his warm strong hands caressing the soft freckled skin beneath him.

"Mmm.." the blonde monad as his mouth and tongue explored the skin of Yamaguchi's neck. "You are way more built than you look at first glance 'ashi." he moaned, continuing his grinding and exploration of Yamaguchi's body.

"I…" Yamaguchi's voice came out breathy and he tried to will his words to come out, his arms wrapped tighter around the blonde's neck subconsciously keeping him close to ensure he would continue his ministrations. "I am pretty active." he huffed heavily as he felt a thumb brush across a sensitive nipple. "I play and coach volleyball."

"Mmm...I see." Terushima chuckled letting his hand wander away from the coaches behind and down the outside of his leg until he got to Yamaguchi's knee. Then the man moved his hand over to the opposite leg, slowly trailing up the inside of his thigh. "That explains these fabulous thighs."

Terushima didn't stop until he firmly cupped his hand between Yamaguchi's legs, smirking as the brunett moaned and instinctively thrust against his palm. "Oh gosh…" Yamaguchi's breathless voice assaulted Terushima's ears as the man's arms tightened around his neck.

The coach's mouth moved up and his warm tongue circled around Terushima's earlobe before taking it into his mouth, the same tongue dancing and playing with his piercing, causing Terushima's eyes to roll back as he closed them with a moan so deep it rumbled in his chest.

"Mmm...gah...you feel so good Ta-da-shi." he spoke slowly drawing out each syllable of Yamagushi's name once again. "You've nearly pushed me to the edge, please don't stop."

"Mm-me too." Yamaguchi mumbled against the blonde's earlobe. Terushima smirked at the response that urged him to speed up the pace of his hand. It didn't take long before Yamagichi was moaning with pure pleasure in Terushima's ear and the lew sounds were enough to send the blonde right over the edge with him.

Heavy breaths mingled as their foreheads pressed together and the pair let the haze slowly lift from their post orgasim brains.

"Let's find a table, and I'll buy you a drink," Terushima breathed in Yamaguchi's ear. The brunette smiled, slightly amused. Usually that would have been the thing to do before things had escalated to this level. But for now he really didn't mind. It had been way too long, and though he was sure he would regret it in the morning, for tonight, he was pleased with the turn of events.

* * *

Nishinoya was wasted.

Well, of course, he was wasted! It was a Saturday night, he was on the dance floor with these sexy men he called his friends, and the more he drank the more of an excuse he had to get overly friendly with a certain tall, brunette, god of an Ace that was currently behind him. He was going to be hungover all day tomorrow and he wouldn't regret a single second of it. Especially since the same gorgeous man would likely come and take care of him.

Coming here had been the best idea ever.

Nishinoya danced with his back pressed up against Azumane's chest. His arms reached up behind him to encircle the taller man's neck and his fingers found themselves entangled in Azumane's luscious locks. Azumane followed the sway of Nishinoya's beat with a shy hesitation, though Nishinoya knew he was enjoying himself.

"Better keep a hold on him and save him from himself!" Kinoshita laughed as he and Narita returned, both with a drink in one hand and a girl at their side. Azumane looked over at their two teammates before looking down at the libero who was happily grinding against him.

"No kidding," Narita laughed, taking a sip of his drink. "Last time we came out and he got this drunk, Noya got himself thrown out of the club for climbing over the counter to dry hump the bartender." Both boys laughed at the memory. Azumane smiled faintly, but his hand instinctively tightened a bit on Nishinoya's hips as if he was worried he would wander off to find another partner.

Nishinoya was thankful he wasn't too drunk to notice that.

"Hey, is that Yamaguchi?" Hinata asked as he came bouncing next to them. He gestured behind Nishinoya and Azumane with a finger, causing both of them to look back. "Who is that he's with? It doesn't look like Tsukki."

It took a moment for Nishinoya's clouded brain to spot their freckled friend being led by the hand, up the stairs to the balcony, by an unfamiliar man. Nishinoya's eyes widened and he suddenly spun around, climbing Azumane to get onto his back, while the taller man stumbled, trying not to fall over. Once steady, Nishinoya rested his chin on top of Azumane's head, now easily able to see over the crowd.

"No that's definitely not Tsukishima," Nishinoya confirmed with a grin. They watched as the pair found a table and the stranger ordered drinks for the both of them. The man seemed more than eager to lean in close, and Yamaguchi didn't pull away. Nishinoya laughed in delight as he waved his fist in the air, causing Azumane to have to fight not to stumble as his friend hollered towards Yamaguchi at the top of his lungs. "Whoo! Yeah! Go Yamaguchi!"

They all watched as Yamaguchi and his companion looked down at the crowd, spotting them before turning back, with Yamaguchi covering his face, clearly embarrassed.

Nishinoya had opened his mouth to call out again but found his voice muffled as a large hand covered his face, pushing him back and causing him to fall into Hinata, sending them both tumbling to the floor.

"Stop bothering him," Tsukishima said, pulling his hand back before turning back around and disappearing back into the crowd from where he came without another word. Azumane, Kinoshita and Narita's faces appeared over their fallen teammate. Azumane looked concerned.

"Are you okay?"

Kinoshia and Narita just grinned as they spoke in unison. "You just got blocked!" they cheered, and the whole group couldn't help but laugh.


	7. The Scheme

Kuroo scanned the club with calculating eyes, taking in the setting, as he adjusted the white band on his wrist. The people on the dance floor were lively, pulsing and swaying to the music, the base so strong you could feel it reverberating in your chest. He grinned. “This is going to be fun.” 

Kenma looked up at his friend, wishing he could feel the same way about this situation. He was not optimistic at all about how this night was going to turn out and he worried about his best friend. Kuroo was getting ahead of himself and he didn’t care how much Kuroo denied it. The odds of things ending well were not odds Kenma liked. Resisting the urge to pull his sleeves down over his wrists, Kenma pushed up the sleeves of his hoodie to his elbows, making sure his purple wrist band was visible. He hoped this would at least keep people away. 

“Come on Yaku!” Lev said excitedly, dragging his older, much shorter boyfriend along. 

“Would you stop dragging me, you titan?” Yaku complained as he half heartedly tried to pull his hand away from the half-Russian. 

“It’s not my fault your short legs can’t keep up.” 

Anticipating their short friend's response, Kuroo and Kenma sidestepped in opposite directions. Yaku yanked his hand from his boyfriend’s grip and kicked the silver-haired man in the back of the knees, causing him to fall forward, landing on his hands and knees right where the two had been standing previously . 

“Ow!” Lev whined. “Yaku…”

Yaku ignored him and walked past the fallen giant with his head held high. “I’m going to get a drink.” he shouted back to them before diapering into the crowd.

Inuoka laughed as he joined them, putting one arm around Kenma’s shoulders and his other around the much shorter Shibayama, who had also joined the group now. Kenma quietly ducked under his arm to get away from his grasp, but Shibayama didn’t seem to mind. He just reached up and adjusted his taller friend’s hand so that the man’s yellow wrist band wasn’t poking his cheek. His own blue band rested back against his wrist as he returned his arm to his side. 

“You alright there, buddy?” Inuoka smiled down at Lev, both amused and genuinely concerned. 

“Yeah,” the half-Russian replied as he pushed himself up and got back onto his feet. “He just got so mad so fast, I wasn’t prepared.” 

“Wasn’t prepared?” Shibayama asked, surprised. 

“Dude! He got mad because you called him short. He always reacts that way,” Inuoka interjected. Lev looked down at his friend with his head tilted to the side, perplexed. 

Kuroo started laughing so hard he had to hold onto his stomach as he almost doubled over. “You are just as clueless as ever Lev,” he guffawed. “You two have been going out, how long now? And you still don’t know not to call him short?” 

“Almost two years.” Lev answered the first question. “I know he gets upset about that, but I don’t understand why. Him being short is what makes him so cute.” His answer was so innocent and sincere that it caused Kuroo to laugh even harder. Even Inuoka started laughing once again. 

“Does that mean my height makes me look cute too?” Shibayama asked in an indifferent tone with a small smile. 

“Definitely!” Kuroo and Inuoka responded at the same time as Inuoka tightened his arm around Shibayama’s shoulder. Shibayama simply smiled in return at their unnecessary enthusiasm. Unlike their friend, Shibayama wasn't overly sensitive about his height, or lack thereof. 

“Alright!” Yamamoto said in his boisterous voice as he joined the rest of the group and placed his hands on his hips. “Time to scope out the ladies!” 

Kuroo smiled at Yamamoto’s goofy grin as he looked back out over the crowd, hoping to find a particular blond among the mob of dancers on the dance floor. The club wasn't too large but it was packed. Even with how tall Tsukishima was, Kuroo worried that he wouldn’t be able to find him. 

He thought about the picture Tsukishima’s son had sent him and remembered that it looked like their group was in a booth. Perhaps that would be a good place to start. He was looking up and scanning the balcony when luck played into his favor in the form of a commotion on the dance floor. 

“Whoo! Yeah! Go Yamaguchi!” 

Kuroo looked back over at the crowd, to the man with spiked hair, who was latched onto another man’s back and hollering over the crowd, drawing everyone’s confused attention. He watched in amusement as, just as the spiky-haired man was about to yell out again, a certain blond walked up to the pair, put his palm over the man’s face, and shoved him off his companion’s back and into the crowd. The people around him, including the group that had caused the scene, erupted into laughter as his mysterious paleontologist made his way back to where he came from. 

Kuroo made his way through the crowd in the direction that he saw Tsukishima go and, by habit, his group migrated with him into the sea of dancing bodies. They lost Yamamoto pretty fast as he found a group of encourageable and intoxicated girls, but the rest stuck with him until they made it across the room, to an open booth near the bar. Kenma happily slid in and pulled out his phone to play a game while Kuroo leaned against the table, watching the crowd where he could see Tsukishima dancing with a pretty woman in a red dress. 

The blond had his hand on her waist and responded to her movements but Kuroo could tell he was only mildly interested. She was gorgeous, yes, and definitely enough to get a man turned on, but it seemed like Tsukishima didn’t have any intentions of the night leading to anything more than some dancing. 

That fact pleased Kuroo. 

What pleased him even more was, as the couple turned so that the woman’s back was facing Kuroo, he could clearly see Tsukishima’s hand on her neck - the tips of his fingers playing with her hair, and on his wrist was an orange band. Though the colorful lighting made it hard to tell at times, after watching it for long enough he was sure that it was orange. 

_ He is open to it. _ Kuroo smirked.  _ Perfect _ . Now all he had to do was find a way to get the girl away from him. 

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Lev’s face appeared in front of his own, drawing his attention back to the group. “Uh, Kuroo? Hello?” 

“Yeah?” he said, looking back over to see Inuoka and Shibayama both sitting at the booth, now looking at the drink menu.

“Did you want to order a drink?” Shibayama repeated the question they had obviously asked earlier when Kuroo had not been paying attention. Kuroo smiled in return, ignoring his roommate’s watchful gaze, knowing exactly what Kenma was thinking and that Kenma was seeing right through him. 

“Yeah, order me something light. I don’t really plan to get wasted tonight. I have to travel for a game, early tomorrow morning.” Inuoka nodded, turning his attention back to the list, as he and Shibayama discussed drinks. 

Some women to his left caught Kuroo’s attention. He could hear them giggling and watching their group, and he knew that they were looking at Lev. The tall, silver-haired man caught most people’s attention wherever he went. Not only because he was so tall, but he looked good and dressed flawlessly. But what else would you expect from someone who made a living out of modeling?

With a smirk, his eyes wandered back over to Tsukishima and his dance partner. “Hey Lev,” he said without taking his eyes off the pair. “Do you want a front row ticket to the college volleyball regionals taking place next month?” He finally looked over to see the man’s eyes light up and he knew that he had picked the right bribe. Lev would kill to get tickets to any of the game’s their local college men’s volleyball team played for one reason and one reason alone: Yaku. Yaku was the assistant coach of the team, and while he gave Lev tickets for all their local games, it was rare that Lev got a chance to make it to any of the away games, and especially not regionals. 

“That would be amazing!” Lev grinned. 

“I’ll talk to Bokuto about it if you do me a favor.” 

“Yeah, anything,” Lev responded, and Kuroo had to try not to laugh at how easy the guy was to manipulate. Leaning over, he whispered in the man’s ear his plan and gestured to the couple he had been watching on the dance floor. Lev looked over at them curiously before turning that curious gaze to Kuroo, who just nodded. Shrugging, he went over to the bar and ordered a drink before walking into the crowd just as Yaku was returning with a nearly empty glass in his hand. 

“Where is Lev going?” he asked, only mildly curious. 

“I just sent him on an errand,” Kuroo said smugly. 

Yaku looked over, to see him making his way through the crowd towards a particular spot, but he couldn’t tell where or why. “Did you send him to bring a drink to a girl?...” Yaku tried not to sound worried but it came through. He knew how popular his boyfriend was and, despite the man’s devotion to Yaku, he still got insecure. 

“Just to distract one,” Kuroo replied honestly then reached out and grabbed Yaku’s arm before he could move forward to stop Lev. “Relax, it will be fine.” 

“What do you mean it will be fine? You just sicced my boyfriend on a girl!” 

“Getting nervous are we, Yaku?” Inuoka chuckled, earning a glare from their short companion. “You do know he is wearing a black band, just like you? Any girl is going to know he is taken.” 

“Still…” Yaku eyed Kuroo with a glare as he sat down at the booth. He knew Kuroo was up to something. What was he planning? It made Yaku nervous. But, as always, Kuroo was calm as he smirked to himself. 

* * *

Tsukishima returned from shutting up Nishinoya to find the woman, who had told him her name was Misaki Hana, still waiting for him. She smiled when he returned. “They seem like an animated bunch.” She put her hand on his arm as he stood in front of her again. He looked down at her hand curiously, then back to her. She seemed very interested in him and he wasn't sure what it was she found so fascinating. 

He had originally assumed that she had shown interest in him to help out her friend who clearly wanted to get close to Yamaguchi. But it seemed that she had motives of her own. She was beautiful of course, and had a very attractive figure, so it’s not like it was unpleasant for him to dance with and be close to her. But he didn’t want her to get her hopes up either. He had no intention of starting anything, and he definitely was not taking a woman he had just met home, even just for the night. 

“So, you said you work at Seijoh Museum? What is it you do there?” Misaki asked, stepping close to him again as they both started swaying in time with the music. 

“It’s really not all that interesting to most people,” he said honestly, from experience. When most people heard he was a paleontologist they thought his job was very different than it really was. “I’m kind of like an on-call specialist. I spend most of my day doing research, reviewing data, and writing reports for the museum.” 

She smiled, sliding her hand up his arm and wrapping her arms around his neck. “But you seem passionate about what you do, so it can’t be all that boring for you.” Tsukishima’s expression didn’t change as he looked down at her, but he didn’t pull away from her either. 

“I never said that I find it boring.” 

“Well tha-uwah!” Her sentence was cut off by her scream and her jumping, as someone bumped into her from behind, resulting in a cold drink spilling down the back of her dress. 

“Oh! I am so sorry!” 

Tsukishima stepped back and looked over at the tall,silver-haired man that was standing next to Misaki, now trying to help dab dry the wet material with an already soaked napkin. He had to try his hardest not to smirk at the amusing situation in front of him. 

“Oh gosh… Oh this is going to stain… Damn it.” Misaki frowned before finally looking up at the man who had so rudely interrupted her conversation with Tsukishima, and likely ruined her dress. But when her eyes met his green eyes her anger quelled and she found herself flustered to find the right words. “I...I’m sure it was an accident. You don’t have to worry,” she said, though she still wore a slight frown. This was her favorite dress, gorgeous man or not, she was upset that it would be ruined. 

“If we take care of it now we can prevent staining,'' the man offered, seeming truly apologetic. “I’m sure they have what we need in the kitchen. If you don’t mind,” he looked up at Tsukishima, who just waved his hand, letting him know that he and Misaki were not attached and he wasn’t going to get all protective over her. “If they can’t get it out I’ll gladly reimburse you.” 

“Oh… I…” She glanced back at Tsukishima. 

“Go ahead. I wouldn’t want you to have your dress ruined. I think I need a break anyway,” he said, before turning and walking away, towards the stairway that led to the balcony. He was sure that he wouldn’t see her for the rest of the night. Which was fine. He had enjoyed his time, but he was just as content to sit with the rest of his friends who weren’t dancing at the moment and have a drink. 

He was halfway up the stairs when he bumped into someone who was making their way down. He turned to apologize but was met with a familiar grin. “Well, look who it is. So, Mr. Dino likes to party on the weekends?” 

“Tch.” Tsukishima clicked his tongue, annoyed. Of all people that he could have run into, why did it have to be this guy? “I am here with friends. Excuse me,” he said, not bothering to try and make his voice sound polite. He really didn’t want to deal with this right now. 

“Hey wait.” Kuroo reached up, grabbing onto his arm to stop him from going up any further. “You know I was just teasing. I am happy that I ran into you actually, let me buy you a drink?” He smiled. He didn’t seem apologetic about the teasing but he did seem sincere. 

Tsukishima didn’t care. 

“I’ll pass.” He turned to continue up to the balcony but Kuroo didn’t let go. 

“Please, come on. I’ll stop with the teasing, okay? I really just want to get to know you. One drink, then if you still want me to leave you alone I promise I will.” 

Tsukishima pondered this. He could still say no, and then ignore him on his own. It’s not like this guy could force him to spend time with him. He watched as Kuroo leaned one arm against the railing as he let go of Tsukishima. He was confident, no, confident wasn’t strong enough. Cocky. This man was so cocky. He truly believed that if Tsukishima had one drink with him, he could win him over and make Tsukishima want to be his friend? Yet even with the stance and persona that he portrayed, there was something about him that was so truthful. It wasn’t an act he was putting on and somehow Tsukishima could see that he was being honest about what he said, even if he was conniving.

He debated the pros and cons in his mind for a moment before he sighed. “Alright, one drink. But if you start to annoy me I will get up and leave.” 

“Got it.” Kuroo smiled and started to head up the stairs next to Tsukishima. 

The two of them found an empty table on the opposite side of the balcony that the rest of Tsukishima’s friends were at and sat down, ordering their drinks. Once the waitress left, Kuroo looked over at Tsukishima and smiled. He was truly pleased that he had gotten this man to agree to a drink with him and was determined that he was going to leave a good impression on him this time, even though it really was fun to tease the blond. 

“Do you like sports?” Kuroo asked as he leaned back in his chair and rested his arm on the railing that overlooked the dance floor. He watched Tsukishima as the blond leaned back in his chair as well, folding his arms. He was guarded and Kuroo could tell it was going to take some work to break him out of that shell. 

“Not particularly,” Tsukishima responded as he looked over the railing and down at the mob of dancers below. “I don’t mind them but I don’t really care about them either.” 

“I figured.” Kuroo smirked. “You don’t seem like the type to waste your energy getting worked up over something like that.” 

This caused the blonde to look back over at Kuroo with a one raised brow. “Oh, and you think you can read me so well, do you?” He scoffed but the corner of his lips twitched into a small, amused smile. 

“Actually yes.” Kuroo responded confidently as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and propping his head up onto one fist. “I am very good at reading people. For instance, I can tell that you like to look standoffish and indifferent because it’s easier than expending the energy to show how much you really care. I can imagine that with those who you allow to get close to you, you are actually very dedicated to them and care very much about their feelings and opinions. Also, despite the way you try and deflect my teasing with annoyed retorts, you have a good sense of humor.” The dark-haired journalist smirked confidently before adding, “Oh, and I guarantee that you played at least one sport in school and that you still enjoy it.” 

Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “How generic. Am I supposed to be impressed by that?” 

Kuroo furrowed his brows, confused. He didn’t understand the response. _ Generic? _ What did he mean by that? With the look of confusion that crossed Kuroo’s face Tsukishima actually smirked, thoroughly amused. 

“Your assessment, while right, was not really all that impressive and I don’t think it was really all that difficult for you to come up with. First off, anyone who is standoffish or acts indifferent like I do obviously does so because they can’t be bothered with the emotions and effort of being more energetic. That’s just common sense, that’s the reason we act the way we do, and honestly, for the most part, we don’t try to hide that because that would also be a waste of energy. 

“Second, like anyone else, I of course care deeply about those who I allow to get close to me. Just because I choose to only have a select few who I let in, doesn't mean that I care any less about them than other people who choose to have large friend groups. And yes, of course I have a good sense of humor, I am not an emotionless robot. But I don’t know you and I don’t find amusement in being mocked by someone who I just meet and who hasn’t built a rapport with me, so really, the flaw in your system is the fact that you are too confident in your ability and looks, that you think you can skip a few steps in getting to know someone and get away with it. 

“And lastly, your assessment that I played at least one sport in school only shows that you have good observation skills, at best. I’m tall with an athletic build, so it’s not a far leap to assume that I would have been at the least recruited by a club in high school. Working with athletes yourself, you would honestly be an idiot not to recognize that I played a sport in school.” 

When he finished, Tsukishima watched Kuroo, expecting him to get defensive, possibly even flustered or annoyed at his blunt response. But to his surprise, the man just grinned and started laughing.  _ Who was this guy?... _

“Touche!” He laughed, leaning back in his chair and holding one arm around his stomach. His response left Tsukishima with nothing to say in return. This was not what he had expected at all and he didn’t know what to think or how to respond when he had been so blatantly rude to the man, who was simply trying to have a conversation and get to know him. 

The waitress came and dropped off their drinks before Kuroo finally calmed down enough to be able to take a sip without choking. Tsukishima just continued to watch the man, perplexed. 

“Sorry.” He looked back up at Tsukishima, still wearing that large grin. “That was just a good response. You are really smart - of course that one wasn’t a surprise to me considering your job. Do you want to know my favorite part of that whole comeback though?” 

Tsukishima sighed, defeated. Nothing affected this guy. “What?” 

Kuroo leaned back over the table, resting his head on his hand again as his grin morphed into a mischievous smirk, his cat-like eyes staring intently into Tsukishima’s. “You admitted that I am good looking.” 

“I what?” Tsukishima stammered before he could catch himself. He looked away from Kuroo, whose smirk was growing, and clicked his tongue, annoyed. “Tch. You would come to that conclusion. What I said is that you believe you are good looking and use it to your advantage. I never said that I found you attractive. You’re an idiot.” 

Kuroo chuckled, knowing he had finally gotten to him. Now he could use that to open him up a bit more and find out more about him. “So, what sport did you play then?” 

“Volleyball.” Tsukishima answered without really thinking about it, just glad that he had changed the subject. He continued to look out at the crowd, watching for Hinata, which led him to being able to find the rest of his friends who were on the dance floor. Nishinoya and Azumane had disappeared but Sugawara, Tanaka and Kiyoko had joined them now. 

“Volleyball huh? Nice.” Kuroo smiled. “I played volleyball in high school but I dropped it once I got to college because I couldn’t juggle more than one sport anymore. Did you play in junior high and high school?” 

“Yeah.” Tsukishima finally looked back at the man sitting across from him who had finally calmed down. He now had a simple, pleasant smile on his face as he slowly sipped his drink, his attention fully on Tsukishima and what he had to say. “I joined in junior high and played through college.” 

“You played in college, huh? Where did you go to college?” 

“Sendai university.” 

“They have a good team. I think their volleyball team was ranked pretty high a few years ago, wasn’t it?” Kuroo was curious if he had been part of the team that had helped Sendai university get to that high ranking. He didn’t know how old Tsukishima was or how long ago he had graduated. He had a career but he still looked pretty young. 

“I think they still hold that ranking in the league. They earned that ranking during my second year of college.” 

“Nice. Were you a starter?” Kuroo asked, pleased that he had finally got the conversation flowing and it seemed like Tsukishima was loosening up more. 

“I was placed in the starting lineup during my second year.” Tsukishima replied. 

“You must have been pretty good then. With your height I’m sure you were a middle blocker. Were you ever captain on any of your teams?” 

“No.” Tsukishima glanced across the way, to where Yamaguchi was still sitting with the man who had asked him to dance earlier. It was rare for things like this to happen for his friend. Yamaguchi seemed happy talking to him, so Tsukishima was happy for him, but it also felt weird. Looking back at his table mate he continued. “Shouldn’t you have been able to tell, with your legendary skills of reading people, that I’m not exactly captain material? My best friend played with me through school and he was captain during our third year of high school and senior year of college.” 

“He must be pretty talented then. Does he still play?” 

“He coaches at the local high school.” 

“Mmm I see.” Kuroo smiled, taking a sip of his drink and making a mental note that he would have to look into this best friend of Tsukishima’s. Maybe Bokuto knew something about him. He was pretty sure that the team here was pretty well known, but he just didn't know enough about the high school sports teams anymore. “Do you still play often?” 

“I play occasionally with some friends, but nothing serious.” Tsukishima didn't really want to give out more information about the adult volleyball club. Considering how the past few days had gone, since meeting this man, he really didn’t want him invading another part of his life.

Kuroo could tell that he was starting to close off to the subject, so he decided to switch topics, hoping to keep him interested. “Are you doing anything interesting at work currently?” 

Tsukishima raised a curious brow. This man sure did have a lot of questions. Why was he so interested in getting to know him? “We are finishing up a rather large project of updating our mesozoic era wing, so most of what I have been doing for the last four months has been research and gathering data for that.” 

“Ah, the age of the dinosaurs.” Kuroo smirked. “That does sound interesting. I know that paleontology consists of a lot of different fields but dinosaurs is what it's most well known for. What made you want to go into this line of work in the first place?”

Tsukishima’s expression remained blank but he felt a little embarrassed. Not because he was so fascinated with dinosaurs and that was why he had gone into paleontology in the first place, but because of the way Kuroo made it sound made it seem like his reason for loving his work was so unoriginal. Maybe he was just another paleontologist who had been obsessed with dinosaurs his whole life, but nothing else had ever come close to matching that level of interest in his life, and working where he was now had been his dream for years, so he didn’t have anything to be ashamed of. So why was he feeling self conscious? 

“I got into it because I’ve always liked dinosaurs,” he admitted. 

“It’s good that you love your job. You seem passionate about it.” He tried to picture Tsukishima with his son and what he was like at home when he could relax and be completely himself.  _ How did he talk to his son? What kind of things did they do together? _ It was easy for him to imagine Tsukishima with a young boy at the park playing volleyball or sitting together reading a book about dinosaurs as he shared facts about the different creatures they read about. He smiled to himself. He really would love to see that someday. 

Tsukishima watched Kuroo curiously. He didn’t understand what this man’s goal was. He realized that the journalist truly just wanted to get to know him. This whole time they had been talking, all he had done was ask about Tsukishima, rarely had he even mentioned himself. This was causing Tsukishima to tread into a very dangerous territory: genuine interest. Taking a deep breath Tsukishima finished off the last of his drink and stood up. 

Kuroo looked up at him, surprised and a little disappointed. “Leaving so soon huh?”

“I promised one drink, and I kept that promise. I came here with my friends after all, and I should spend at least a little time with them tonight.” It was a lame excuse but it would have to do. Tsukishima found himself reluctant to be rude to Kuroo and not wanting to hurt his feelings. 

This was a really strange night…

“Alright, that’s fair enough.” Kuro smiled softly before tilting his head back and downing the rest of his drink in one gulp, standing up as well. “Did the drink go well enough that you will at least allow me to text you? Maybe even go out for drinks in a couple weeks?” 

“Yeah, sure. Just don’t spam me. And don’t text me in the middle of the night,” he said as he turned and started to walk off. “I will block you,” he warned.

“Understood!” Kuroo called after him before making his way in the opposite direction, back downstairs to find his group. 

Tsukishima was about halfway back to his group, on the other end of the balcony, when he stopped walking, frozen in place by a realization.  _ Had he just been asked out on a date? _ He shook his head. That couldn't be the case. Kuroo had been very honest about just wanting to get to know him. That’s what you do when you want to become friends with someone, right? Tsukishima frowned. _ How would he know? _ He never approached people; it was usually others who approached him and tried to befriend him. 

He tried to think back through the conversation. Were there any signs that there was more there? It was hard for him to determine. Tsukishima was smart but he didn’t really pay attention to things like this, he had never really cared. Akiyama, Haruhisa’s mother, was the only person he had ever really had a  _ relationship  _ with. And what they had could hardly have been called a relationship. He had dated other women but he was never serious with anyone. And though he was open because of his experience with a best friend who was gay, he had never had any interest in a man, and as far has he knew no man had ever had any interest in him. 

He covered his face, taking a moment to compose himself. He decided that it didn’t matter what Kuroo’s intentions were. He was willing to talk with him and get to know him, but he had no intention of becoming best buddies, let alone dating him. He shook his head, dropping his hand and walking forward again. 

“Nope,” he muttered to himself as he neared the table his friends were at. He decided that he wasn’t going to think about it anymore. He didn’t have time for that kind of responsibility in his life. He had a busy career and a son that took up all his time. If it wasn’t for the fact that Yamaguchi was basically family to both him and his son, he would probably rarely ever see him, other than weekend volleyball practice, just like the rest of his friends. So no matter what his intentions, Tsukishima didn’t have time for Kuroo to take a big space in his life. He just didn’t have the room for him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! I actually got my chapter posted early this time (if only because I am dealing with insomnia and feel like I never want to sleep unless I am in the middle of work or doing homework. *sigh*) But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it and getting a chance to have some more Tsukki and Kuroo interactions. Please let me know what you thought, I always look forward to hearing from you!  
> Also, something to look forward to, this week I will be posting a few extra chapters that are going to be Halloween specials. They may or may not be shorter than my normal chapters. They follow the flow of the story but are not really plot important for the most part just a few fun chapters because Halloween is coming up and I wanted to write some fun random scenes. I hope that you enjoy the upcoming specials and the future chapters as we keep going. Thanks for reading!


	8. Halloween Special: Hocus Pocus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coucou mon petit choux!  
> I hope that you enjoy my first Halloween special chapter. I decided that I will be doing a set of nine “Halloween Special” chapters - one chapter for each letter of HALLOWEEN - for this FanFiction (because I love Halloween and had too many fun ideas I wanted to do! Haha!) As I mentioned previously, these chapters follow the timeline of this story but don’t necessarily have any relevance to the story plot, they are just random fun scenes that I had ideas for and for many of the chapters have some focus on other characters and ships that I don’t focus on as much in the Fic.  
> My intended schedule if I am able to keep up with this will be: two chapters today, tomorrow, Friday and Saturday and then the final Halloween Special will be posted on Monday with my next regular chapter.  
> Happy Haunting!! (∩ᄑ_ᄑ)⊃━☆ﾟ*･｡*･:≡( ε:)
> 
> Also for anyone who might be interested, I attempted making Halloween colored dango dumplings myself! It was my first time making and trying dango dumplings. From what I know of them the texture and taste turned out great, but boy were they ugly! haha They are supposed to be relatively round but mine looked like weird flat discs. Haha! But still fun none the less. (If you want to see pictures of how they turned out, check out this Fic on my Wattpad I have a picture posted in my author's notes at the end of the chapter)

Haruhisa hummed and swung his legs back and forth as he sat at the bar in their kitchen, watching his father make breakfast. It had become part of their morning routine since Haruhisa had started living with his father. Tsukishima hadn’t been one to worry too much about what he ate for breakfast when he lived alone. He would grab leftovers, or pick something up on the way to work without thinking much of it. But his son couldn’t live like that. 

The first few months after Haruhisa moved in, Tsukishima's mother came over a lot to help out, and during that time he had made sure to take the time to learn some things from her so he could make sure that he was preparing proper meals for a growing boy. 

Now it had just become second nature to him. 

Tsukishima dished them both a portion of rice, a warm bowl of miso soup, and a plate of koachi and natto. By the time he finished that, the grilled fish was done and he carefully pulled it out of the pan and portioned it onto each of their plates. 

“Itadakimasu.” Haruhisa pressed his palms together and bowed his head before shoving a large clump of rice into his mouth. “Thank you, otousan,” he mumbled with a full mouth. Tsukishima smirked, chuckling at his son. 

“Don’t talk with your mouth full. You’ll choke and then you’ll throw up on my floor and that would upset me.” 

Haruhisa pouted as he looked back at his father whose smile didn’t falter. “Otousan…” he whined. “All you’re worried about is the floor?”

“Humm…” he replied, tapping his finger to his chin as if he was really pondering this. “You’re right that’s not the only thing I should worry about.” Haruhisa perked up, pleased, before his shoulders slumped again at his father's follow up remark, “I would hate to see that food go to waste.” 

“You’re mean.” Haruhisa frowned and Tsukishima laughed.

“Stop your pouting, you know I’m teasing you.” 

His son eyed him warily, but his father was right. He had in fact known his dad was teasing him. “Meanie face,” was his intelligent reply as he stuck another big clump of rice into his mouth before sticking his tongue out at his dad, saliva-covered rice and all. 

Tsukishima wrinkled his nose. “Oi! That’s nasty kid.” He chuckled, reaching up and, with his palm on top of his head, he turned his son's head to face back towards the rest of his food. Haruhisa put his tongue back in his mouth and began the chew again, smiling brightly as his shoulders shook with laughter. “Make sure you eat the rest of your food too. You can’t just have rice for breakfast.”

“Mess-ser” Haruhisa mumbled incoherently through his food. 

“So...” Tsukishima started up the new conversation between bites of his own food. “Halloween is only a couple days away and you still haven’t told me what you want to be. You know if we don’t get you a costume soon they won’t have any good ones left and you’ll have to be a rainbow unicorn or something.” 

He looked over, expecting his son to have an expression of horror at just the thought of being caught wearing something so embarrassing. But to his surprise the boy seemed indifferent to the idea as he picked up his bowl of miso soup and drank some of the broth. 

“I already know what I want to be,” he said very matter-of-factly. 

“Oh, is that so? And what is it that you want to be?” 

“Can’t tell you,” Haruhisa replied and his father looked down at him puzzled. 

“Uh, why not?” 

“It’s a secret. Don’t worry, Yamaguchi-sensei helped me get my costume.” He put down his bowl looking up at his father with an expression very intense and serious for a seven year old boy. “You are not allowed to see it, okay?” 

Then the boy turned back to his breakfast and continued eating as if the matter was settled. Tsukishima was so shocked that he didn’t even know what else to say. When had Yamaguchi taken his son to get his Halloween costume? And why was he being kept out of the loop? Was it something he was too embarrassed to tell his dad about but he trusted Yamaguchi? It didn’t really make much sense. 

* * *

After dropping Haruhisa off at school Tsukishima got back onto the train to head towards the museum. As he stood there among the other commuters he pulled out his phone, texting his friend. 

**[08:35] Tsukishima Kei:** Alright, what are you and Haru up to? Why is there this big secret revolving around his halloween costume that you apparently already bought him?

It was only a few minutes before he got a response, which meant that his morning practice with the volleyball team was probably over at this point. Opening up the text, he rolled his eyes at the reply. 

**[8:38] Yamaguchi Tadashi:** It’s a secret. I promised not to tell 

This text was followed by a gif of a cartoon character repeatedly bringing his finger up to his lips in a  _ ‘shushing’  _ motion. 

**[8:36] Tsukishima Kei:** Why are you teaching my son to conspire against me? I thought you knew better than that. 

**[8:40] Yamaguchi Tadashi:** LOL. Don’t worry he has his reasons

**[8:41] Yamaguchi Tadashi:** And for the record he approached me about this it wasn’t my idea

**[8:43] Tsukishima Kei:** Yeah sure it wasn’t. You are corrupting my son Yamaguchi

**[8:45] Yamaguchi Tadashi:** Sorry Tsukki. LOL

Tsukishima shook his head but smiled, sending one last response before he pocketed his phone, knowing they were pulling up to the station he needed to get off at. 

**[8:46] Tsukishima Kei:** Liar 

* * *

That evening, when Tsukishima got off of work, he picked up Haruhisa from his after-school program as usual. On their way home they stopped at the store to buy some groceries and items they would need for the different Halloween events that they would be attending. Tsukishima had never been as busy around this holiday as he was with his son, it seemed like he had managed to get involved in everything. 

“Alright, what should we get first?” Tsukishima asked as they walked down the seasonal aisle in their local grocery store that was stocked and overflowing with a wide variety of candy and halloween related goodies. 

“Ummm...treats for class,” Haruhisa decided as he took off his backpack to pull out a half sheet of bright orange paper with bold, black print. “Suga-sensei says that I need to bring enough treats for all of the class. We have twenty-two students. And…” He paused as he slowly read the next line to himself before relaying it to his father. “We should make something without any nuts because Ito Himari-chan is allergic to them.” 

“Okay, so a treat for twenty-two kids that has no nuts in it. What would you like to bring?” 

“Humm…” He pondered this for a moment. “Can we make a treat?” 

Tsukishima hesitated, not sure he wanted to take on that type of project when they were as busy as they were, but one look at his son's big brown eyes and he couldn’t say no. He would just rope Yamaguchi or his mother into helping them as well, they would be thrilled at the idea he was sure. “Sure, we can make something. What would you like to make?” 

“Dango dumplings. And we can color them orange, and purple, and green for Halloween colors. Is that okay?” He looked up, a little worried, at his father’s unsure expression. But Tsukishima just smiled. 

“Yeah, I think we can do that, but let me text obaasan and see if she can help. I don’t think I am good enough in the kitchen to do that.” 

Haruhisa’s eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of his grandmother coming to help them. “Will Sobo come help us make all the Halloween treats?” 

“I sure hope so.” He smiled, reaching over and ruffling his son’s hair as he texted his mother. “Okay, so what else do we need to get?” 

Haruhisa held out the orange flyer from school to his father before taking out another slip of paper from his pocket: the prized shopping list that his father had entrusted him with. Looking over the list, he found the next thing they needed to plan for. “Candy for trick-or-treaters,” he read aloud, before looking back up at his dad. “Can I pick out the candy for the trick-or-treaters?” 

“Yes. Pick out three bags of candy, one is for home and the other two are for the museum trick-or-treat event.” 

“Okay!” The boy ran over excitedly, examining the many choices of candy bags before deciding on the three he thought looked the best and carrying them over to the shopping cart. He then looked back down at his list. “And we need prizes for the booth at the Karasuno Halloween Festival.” He looked back up at his father. “Otousan, what booth are you helping with at the festival?” 

Tsukishima had to resist sighing just thinking about it. He couldn’t believe that he had even gotten roped into helping out with the sports center’s annual Halloween festival this year, and he didn’t even work there. 

“I am helping with the bean bag toss.” 

Harushia looked around the aisle thoughtfully until his eyes fell on a small section at the end of the aisle that had little knick-knacks and toys that were Halloween themed. Going over, he scanned the selection for a moment before coming back with a bag full of bouncy balls in Halloween colors and prints of spiders, ghosts, pumpkins, and witches on them. “What about these?” he asked. 

Taking them from his son, Tsukishima examined the bag which had a dozen balls in it. He figured it was as good as anything. Kiyoko had told him that the prizes should be something small that he could give out to every child who participated, nothing too expensive but something fun. And of course, she assured him that the sports center would reimburse the cost. 

“These should work. Go grab three more bags so we have enough for everyone who wants to play.” Harushia nodded, running back over and grabbing another three bags of bouncy balls and placing them in the cart. “Alright, anything else before we get our regular groceries so that we aren’t living off candy for the next week?” 

His son giggled at the idea, looking back down at the list. “No, that's all the Halloween stuff.” 

“Okay, good.” He reached over, ruffling his son’s hair once more before leading the cart out of the aisle to precede with their normal weekly shopping. About halfway through the trip, while he was looking for ingredients for the dango dumplings from a list of ingredients his mother had texted him, Haruhisa grabbed onto the hem of his shirt. Tsukishima looked down to see his son staring up at him. 

“Otousan, can we make extra dango dumplings for the volleyball team as a Halloween present?” 

“Are you planning to make treats for everyone we know?” Tsukishima shook his head, putting a bag of rice flour into the cart. “Yes, if you want to make Halloween treats for the volleyball team then we can make extra.”

“Thank you!” He hugged his father's waist before going over to push the cart for him, toward the next item on their list. And so began the chaos of the next few days of Halloween celebrations. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kobachi: small side dishes that usually consist of vegetables  
> Natto: Fermented soybeans  
> Itadakimasu: Often translated as "I humbly receive," but in a mealtime setting, it's compared to "Let's eat," "Bon appétit," or "Thanks for the food." Some even liken it to the religious tradition of saying grace before eating.  
> Otousan: Father  
> Sensei: Teacher  
> -chan: Is for anything cute. That means you’ll usually attach -chan to girls names, young boys, babies, and even sometimes pets. But also you’ll hear it used with celebrity names, boyfriends, girlfriends, close friends, siblings, grandparents etc.  
> Obaasan: Granmother  
> Sobo: Obaasan is the Japanese word for grandmother, but Japanese boys and girls are much more likely to call their grandmothers Sobo.


	9. A Spooky Little Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I am posting this much later than I originally intended today but non the less here is the second Halloween Special with more Haru-chan!!

_ Knock. Knock. Knock.  _

“I’ll get it!” Haruhisa yelled from his room. He darted down the hall past his dad before he could even walk out of the kitchen and opened the front door. He was greeted by a bright smile as Yamaguchi looked down at him. 

“Good morning Haru-kun.” Yamaguchi chuckled as he stepped inside the apartment. In his hand he carried a plastic bag which he handed to Haruhisa, who looked like he was ready to jump up and down with excitement. When the boy saw his dad coming around the corner from the kitchen he hid the bag behind his back, looking up at his father sternly. 

“You have to go wait in the other room,” he exclaimed. 

“What?” Tsukishima questioned with a raised brow as he looked from his son to Yamaguchi, who just shrugged with a smile that seemed to say  _ ‘humor him, he is excited.’  _

“You have to go in the other room!” he repeated more adamantly as he put the bag down and ran over to his dad, pushing him to turn around as he guided - or forced - him towards the living room. 

“Why do I have to go into the living room? Can’t you just hide the bag and go into your room?” He tried to reason, as he resisted his son’s shoving just enough to make him have to work hard to push him along, without actually preventing him from doing so. He could hear Yamaguchi behind them, snickering at the scene. 

“No!” He huffed with the effort he was exerting trying to push his father along. “You have to wait in the other room. Go!” Haruhisa put all his weight into the next push nearly causing Tsukishima to lose his balance as his son finally managed to push him into the living room. “Stay!” he ordered before running back and grabbing the bag; then he ran to his room. 

Tsukishima just blinked as he watched his son zip by, followed shortly by Yamaguchi, who stopped in the entryway to the living room. It was very clear that the brunette was thoroughly amused. 

“Is all this really necessary?” Tsukishima asked his friend. 

Yamaguchi smiled with a shrug. “He is excited, let him enjoy the surprise.” 

“Tch.” He sighed, going over and sitting down on the couch to wait. “It’s just a Halloween costume. I don’t know why he is getting so excited about it.” 

“Because he is a kid, Tsukki.” Yamaguchi spoke softly with a chuckle as he heard Haruhisa calling for him from his bedroom. “Let him be a kid.” Then he turned and headed down the hall to help Haruhisa with his costume. 

Tsukishima leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “I know that,” he mumbled to himself. “I just don’t get it.” 

It wasn’t long before he heard two sets of footsteps coming into the room. He cracked his eyes open when he heard someone clear their throat. Looking forward, he saw his son standing there with a proud grin on his face and his hands on his hips. He wore a pair of work boots and tan pants that were held up by a brown belt that held multiple little pouches on it. His shirt was a denim button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top couple buttons left undone. Around his neck he had a folded and tied red bandana and he wore a brimmed hat on his head. 

“I present to you,” Yamaguchi said, flinging out his hands in a theatrical manner to geautre to Haruhisa, “the famous Dr. Alan Grant.” 

A smirk tugged at the corner of Tsukishima’s mouth as he looked between the two. “So, you wanted to be the dinosaur guy for Halloween?” he asked, amused. Haruhisa ran over, jumping into his dad’s lap, nearly losing his hat in the process. Tsukishima put his hand on his son’s back to keep him from falling. 

“Do you know why I wanted to be Dr. Grant?” he asked, looking up at his father with large, expectant eyes. 

“Because Jurassic Park is one of your favorite movies and he is your favorite character in the movie?” 

“No.” He pouted slightly that his father hadn’t guessed right. “Well kinda, but no! I wanted to be Dr. Grant because Dr. Grant is a paleontologist like you, and he loves dinosaurs like you.”

Though his expression didn’t change, Tsukishima's heart softened. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve such love from this little boy. Despite the struggles, despite the sudden change Haruhisa had brought, that threw his perfectly planned world into complete disarray, it was moments like these that made him realize how lucky he really was. He had never really wanted children, but now he couldn’t imagine his life without his son. Nothing was more important to him. 

“Well Dr. Grant, this paleontologist who does not have a doctorate degree needs to get to his job at the museum to do research on those dinosaurs that you have discovered, so why don’t you hurry and go get your backpack and lunch so that we can get going.” 

“Okay!” With that Haruhisa jumped off his father's lap and ran to gather his things, and within a few minutes the three of them were off to the train station.

* * *

Sugawara smiled when he saw Haruhisa come through the door to the classroom carrying his bag of treats that he brought for the party in front of him. Since Tsukishima had to be to work earlier than normal today due to the event they were holding later on, Haruhisa was here earlier than normal. Usually when that happened the boy would just go and help out Yamaguchi with his morning practice for the volleyball club, but this time he had asked Sugwara if he would let him come and help the teacher set up the classroom for their Halloween party. 

Yamaguchi waved to both Sugawara and Haruhisa before he disappeared, to head across the street to the high school for his practice, and Haruhisa walked over to Sugawara with a smile. 

“Good morning Suga-sensei,” he greeted with a bow. 

Sugawara beamed as he reached down, patting the boy's head. “Good morning Haru-kun.” He knelt down so he could be at eye level with the seven-year-old. “Are you ready to decorate for the Halloween party?” 

Haruhisa nodded excitedly, holding up his bag for the teacher to see. “I brought treats. Sobo and Yamaguchi-sensei helped me make these.” 

“Oooh! Homemade treats from Haru-kun? They must be very yummy.” Sugawara smiled, peaking in the bag and seeing the rows of dumplings on wooden skewers lined up neatly in tupperware boxes. Each set had a little, round orange, green and purple dumpling on it. “How nice. I can’t wait till everyone gets to try these. Go ahead and set the bag on the table next to my desk. That’s where we are going to put all the treats.” 

Haruhisa nodded and went over, doing as his teacher requested before returning. “What can I help with?” 

“Hmm let’s see.” Suga looked around the room, trying to decide what he could have the boy help him with. “Oh, I know. How about you help me fill the treat bags that I am going to give everyone? Come over here behind my desk and I’ll show you what to do.” 

Haruhisa beamed at the idea of being given such an important task, and he felt extra special being allowed to go behind the teacher's desk. Sugawara-sensei had strict rules about his students not being allowed to go past a certain point by his desk, so Haruhisa felt very trusted by his sensei. 

Teacher and student both sat on the floor and Sugawara pulled out a bag from under his desk. “Each student is going to get a bag,” he said, as he pulled out a stack of small cellophane bags that had cartoon pumpkins all over them. “And in each bag you are going to put one of each of these prizes and five pieces of candy. Can you do that?” He pulled out smaller bags that held little toys and other halloween themed items, like necklaces, pencils, and erasers before pulling out a larger bag of candy. “I’m going to put their name on the bag, then you will fill them, fold over the top, and close it with one of these stickers. Once they are done you will go put them on everyone's desk, okay?” 

Haruhisa nodded and, as soon as Sugawara finished writing the name of the first student on one of the bags, the boy took it and began filling it with the required items. 

It didn’t take Sugawara long to write all the names on each bag, so once he was finished he stood up, leaving Haruhisa to continue filling the bags while he continued to put up the last of the decorations. 

“Are you excited about the party today, Haru-kun?” he asked as he stood on a step stool to hang tissue paper ghosts from the ceiling. 

“Uh huh.” The boy nodded, continuing to focus on the task that his teacher had given him. 

“What about the dance?” Sugawara smiled as Haushia looked up at him, a little unsure. “Is there someone that you want to dance with?” he teased, and was pleased to see the young boy blush slightly, looking down at his task quickly to hide his face. 

A few times each year the elementary school would have small dances for the students. It was nothing formal, except that the fifth and sixth year students would be taught ballroom dances throughout the year and would often hold more formal dances. But for the rest of the school it was mostly just a dance party for the children. The first and second year students would have their dance right before going back to their classroom to have lunch, the third and fourth year students would have theirs after lunch, and the fifth and sixth year students would hold theirs at the end of the day. 

Though it didn’t mean much to his young first year students to have a co-ed dance, Sugawara always found it so cute watching the children experiencing their first crushes and getting their first, young experiences of love, and he could tell from the look on Haruhisa’s face that the boy was in fact experiencing his first crush. He had seen it in class too, and he knew the girl that had caught the attention of his friend’s son. 

But he wouldn’t interfere. Not right at this moment at least. 

* * *

Haruhisa was standing near the wall, next to his best friend, Sawai Toshiaki, who was a second year at his school. Sawai was a lanky boy with jet black hair that he kept cut short and spiked on the top. He had bright green, shimmering eyes and always wore a big, goofy smile. He was dressed in a black ninja costume with a purple belt around his waist and a matching band tied around his head. 

“Is your dad letting you go trick-or-treating?” Sawai asked, leaning against the wall as they watched their classmates move about, dancing with each other, chasing each other, and laughing. It was a lively gathering, being in a room full of seven, eight and nine year olds and the teachers were all very busy trying their best to keep the peace. 

“No,” he responded as his eyes caught a flash of pink dart through the crowd and instinctively he followed the figure as they made their way over to Sugawara. “We have too much going on, after school is the museum trick-or-treat and then we are going to the sport center festival.”

“Lucky!” Sawai whined with a sigh as he slumped his shoulders forward. “My parents don’t take me to things like that. They say it cost too much.” 

When his friend didn’t respond he looked over to see Haruhisa looking off into the crowd. Curiously, he looked over to see what had distracted his friend. With a mischievous grin he nudged him. 

“Is that the girl from your class? She is talking to your teacher.” 

“Shush!” Harushia reached over, covering his friend's mouth before he could say anything more, as some of the other girls from his class were walking by. Once they had passed and he thought it was safe, he dropped his hand, looking back at his friend. “Don’t just say things like that out loud. What if someone hears you?” 

Sawai shrugged and smiled. “Why does it matter? If she likes you, just talk to her.” 

“I can’t just talk to her!” Haurhisa whisper-yelled, almost panicked at the thought.  _ Talk to the cute girl in his class he liked? No way! _ He was not ready for that. It was embarrassing. He didn’t want her to laugh at him or for the other kids in class to make fun of him. 

“Too bad,” Sawai said as he stood up straighter, looking as if he was going to leave. 

“What? Wait, where are you going?”

“She is coming over to talk to you. Bye!” He waved, quickly darting over to a group of guys in his class, easily inserting himself into their conversation. Haruhisa looked at his friend, confused, before turning around and jumping with surprise to find someone had come up right behind him. 

“Hello Akiyama-kun.” The fairy princess smiled. She was wearing a pink dress with a frilly tulle skirt that had flower petals and sparkles dispersed throughout the layers. Her ballet slippers were a pastel pink that matched the sheer sparkling wings on her back. Her normally wavy, dark auburn hair had been done in loose ringlets and ensconced in those curls was a silver tiara. 

Haruhisa swallowed, his cheeks flushing slightly as he stumbled over his words. “He-hello. Hello Ushijima-chan.” He tilted his head down, hoping that the brim of his hat covered most of his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -kun: is most often used for younger boys, it’s not exclusive. The meaning expresses respect for someone of “lower” status than you or, most often, younger than you.  
> Sensei: Teacher   
> -chan: Is for anything cute. That means you’ll usually attach -chan to girls names, young boys, babies, and even sometimes pets. But also you’ll hear it used with celebrity names, boyfriends, girlfriends, close friends, siblings, grandparents etc.


	10. Halloween Special: Lust is a Spell

Oikawa Toru had a perfect life. He was born into a wealthy family, raised with the best education, the finest of foods, the newest clothes, and technology. He could have anything he wanted. He had his dream job with a high status position that allowed him to continue to live the comfortable lifestyle that he had grown so accustomed to. What more could anyone want in life?

A lot. Oikawa wanted a lot more from his life. 

Drumming his fingers anxiously on his desk, he stared down at his phone, feeling impatient. It had been nearly ten minutes now and he still hadn’t received a response yet. “What could he be doing?” he grumbled to himself as he picked up his phone and opened it up again to check that he in fact had not received a response.

Scrolling back up, he looked through the conversation they’d had last night. 

**[22:02] Oikawa Toru:** I know it’s last minute but I was wondering if you were free tomorrow night? 

**[22:05] Oikawa Toru:** I would be willing to put in a little extra for it being so last minute. 

**[22:11] Oikawa Toru:** If you already have plans just let me know. Though I promise I will make it worth your time. 

**[22:17] Hibi-chan <3: ** I should be free but I need to double check my schedule. I’ll text you tomorrow once I know for sure. 

**[22:19] Oikawa Toru:** Sounds good! ˶⚈Ɛ⚈˵

**[23:37] Hibi-chan <3: ** Do you have any special requests? 

By the time he had gotten the last text he had fallen asleep. In the morning he was rushed to get to work and they had been very busy all day, preparing for the trick-or-treating event that would be happening soon, so he didn’t respond till after lunch, then responded once again about ten minutes prior to confirm that their plans were set in stone. 

**[13:26] Oikawa Toru:** Mmm, well it is Halloween, perhaps I’ll have a spell cast upon me to have a wild night? I’m craving you so bad. 

**[17:31] Oikawa Toru:** Were you able to confirm your schedule? What time should I be ready for you? 

“Oikawa -san ?” 

“What?” Oikawa snapped at the young museum archivist who had peeked his head into his office to get his attention. The brunette jumped slightly at his boss’s sharp tone and had to resist cowering behind the door in surprise. Usually the museum curator was very well mannered and pleasant with people around him. With a sigh, Oikawa pocketed his phone and sat up straight in his chair, mentally correcting his persona back into work mode. “Sorry Yuda. What is it that you needed?” 

Seeing the curator back to his calm self Yuda stepped into the office, self-consciously adjusting his tie, making sure that he was presentable in front of his boss. “I was just coming to let you know that Yahaba-san wants your approval of the decorations in the lobby.” 

“I see. Well of course!” Oikawa smiled, standing up. “I will come do that now. I hope that everyone else has completed their tasks, the museum will be opening up for the children to start trick-or-treating in twenty minutes.” 

“I think everyone is on track, sir,” Yuda replied as he turned to follow Oikawa as he walked out of his office, but nearly ran into him when he stopped in front of the desk only a few feet from his office door. He smirked softly down at the employee who intentionally ignored him, though Oikawa knew that he could sense his presence. 

“Tsukishima, shouldn’t you be out helping with the setup of the different exhibits. I did mention that we needed all hands on deck to be able to pull this off today, didn’t I?” 

“Yeah, I think something like that might have been said,” Tsukishima replied dryly as he flipped the page of the report he was reviewing, still not bothering to look up. It took nearly all of Oikawa’s willpower to resist snapping back and making a comment that might be rather unsavory for the work environment. Even if his own subordinate was not giving him the respect he felt he deserved. 

He breathed out through his nose. “Then why are you at your desk Megane-kun?” His tone was light and teasing but both men knew that he was mocking him. 

“Because I have other work to finish.” Tsukishima replied simply. “I completed my required tasks for my assigned exhibit and now I am finishing this work so that I can go home and enjoy the rest of the evening with my family.” 

Tapping the edges of the report pages, Tsukishima straightened up the pages before laying them on his desk and standing up. As he walked past him, Tsukishima put his hand on Oikawa’s shoulder and smirked. 

“You know,” he whispered. “I happen to know that you also wear glasses, in case you forgot. And there are a few other things about you that might just slip out of my mouth when other’s are around if you continue to use that stupid name to refer to me.” He patted his boss’s shoulder before continuing to walk past him. “I have to go do the last inventory check for the new exhibit. See you guys in a bit.” 

Oikawa glared at the blond’s back as he walked off, disappearing into the storage area. He was tempted to go after him. No one talked to him like that and Tsukishima always had a knack for making him irritated. There was only one thing that could cool that irritation and redirect his focus, and when he heard the voice he perked up, looking over in the direction of the security center. 

“Tell Yahaba that I will be there in a few minutes.” Oikawa instructed Yuda before he stuck his hands in his pocket and made his way over to the room where the security guards monitored the museum surveillance, humming happily to himself. 

When he walked into the room he found two guards, both dressed in a black uniform, monitoring the multiple screens in front of them. The first one was sitting in one of the chairs trying to type up a report from an incident that had happened earlier on in the week. He reached back, scratching in black hair that he wore spiked straight up, in a way that made it resemble a turnip or an onion. Kendaichi Yutara was an eager and fast learner but was still a fairly new member of the staff and had a lot left to learn. 

Standing next to him, leaning over and pointing at something on the screen as he explained it to Kindaichi, was none other than the museum's head of security, Iwaizumi Hajime. Iwaizumi also just happened to be one of Oikawa’s most favorite people in the world. Oikawa smirked as he looked over the man,  _ boy, did he look good in his uniform _ . The fabric matched his messy, spiked hair and the short sleeves of the shirt showed off his well developed muscles, especially as he stood back up and looped his thumbs into his belt, his arms flexing slightly. 

“Iwa-chan! You are back!” Oikawa beamed and went over to him, intending to put his arm around the man’s shoulders,0p but found himself with nothing to lean on as the slightly shorter male had stepped to the side to avoid the contact. 

“What do you want, Oikawa?” 

It was a well known fact among all of those who worked at the Seijoh Museum that it was not a smart idea to talk back to Oikawa and especially not smart to insult him. This rule was universal, except for Iwaizumi. From the day that he first started, Iwaizumi had been an exception to all the rules regarding Oikawa. Thankfully for the rest of the staff, Iwaizumi never cared to abuse it; he would come in and do his work without expecting special treatment. The only thing he really took advantage of was the fact that, unlike the rest of the staff, he didn’t have to cater to the whims of the flirtatious and childish curator. 

“Aww, Iwa-chan, don’t be so mean.” Oikawa smiled, flicking his hair away from his face in a way that always made men and women alike swoon. 

Iwaizumi watched him unphased. 

“So Iwa-chan, do you have plans for tonight? Why don’t you let me take you out?”

Kindaichi had to hold back a moan as he tried to focus on his work and pretend like he wasn't stuck in the middle of his boss’s very blunt advances on his supervisor. He decided that Oikawa really had no shame. 

“No, I don’t have plans tonight.” Iwaizumi responded as he leaned back down, looking over what Kindaichi was typing in his report and absentmindedly nodding in approval. “But no, I do not want to go out with you.” 

“So mean, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa whined. 

Iwaizumi sighed, standing up as he looked over at his boss. “It is not mean for me to turn you down. We go over this everyday.” He walked over and opened the security office door in anticipation of the arrival of a familiar visitor. “You can go find someone else to whine to; you have people lining up at your door who would love to let you take them to dinner.” 

“It’s not the same…” he mumbled, though he knew that Iwaizumi couldn’t hear him. 

“Hey kid,” Iwaizumi said, as the boy came in and the door shut behind him, before he looked back at Oikawa. “It’s hard for me to imagine that you don’t already have plans lined up for tonight anyway. You always seem to have something to do.”

At this Oikawa pouted, folding his arms and looking at Iwaizumi with a frown. “I have plans, but I would cancel them for you.” 

Kindaichi nearly choked on his soda as the seven-year-old walked over and sat in one of the other security office chairs, like he usually did when he came to wait for his father. “Are you okay, Kindaichi-san?” Haruhisa asked, genuinely concerned as he tilted his head to the side, watching his father’s co-worker trying to stop from coughing as his eyes watered. 

Kindaichi just nodded giving the boy a thumbs up before looking back at the two behind him, not able to help but watch to see his supervisor's reaction to the curators bold statement. Oikawa had his arms folded as he waited expectantly for a response but Iwaizumi maintained the same expression as he always did, unimpressed. 

“Don’t cancel your plans or you will end up spending the night alone.” His words were blunt and unsympathetic as he took his seat in the remaining office chair, turning to the computer and logging in to do some work. 

“Fine.” Owikawa huffed in annoyance as he turned on his heel. “One day you are going to regret how cold you are to me.” 

“I doubt it. Have fun with your plans tonight Trashykawa.” 

And with one final glare, Oikawa left the room annoyed and now in a foul mood as he headed out to go check on Yahaba and his project. Kindaichi chuckled after he felt like the curator was out of earshot while Harushia just looked over at the men, seeming slightly perplexed by the situation. 

“How is it that you can talk to him like that and not get fired? It amazes me every time.” He grinned as he continued to try and hold back more laughter. 

“Because, unlike the rest of you.” He paused for a split second to pull out his phone from his pocket before leaning back in his chair and opening up his text messages, smiling as he read the most recent unread messages. “I am not scared of Curator Oikawa Toru.” 

**[13:26] Oikawa Toru:** Mmm, well it is Halloween perhaps I’ll have a spell cast upon me to have a wild night? I’m craving you so bad. 

**[17:31] Oikawa Toru:** Were you able to confirm your schedule? What time should I be ready for you? 

He didn’t let it show on the outside, but he was satisfied seeing these words on his screen. He quickly typed his reply before turning forward to focus on finishing his work before his shift was up. 

**[17:46] Hibiki Yasu:** Yeah I am good to go tonight. I’ll meet you at your place at 21:00. Be ready in your study with your lights off. 

* * *

This was a familiar routine for Iwaizumi. After almost five years, it wasn’t a surprise that he had no hesitation when he pulled out the key and unlocked the door to the luxury penthouse apartment and stepped inside the darkened interior. He took off his shoes and dropped his back, making himself at home as usual, though he was careful to keep his hood up just in case. Though he had never needed to worry. Oikawa was always very particular about how he liked these meetings to go. He never varied and he never broke the rules. 

Quietly, he moved forward into the entryway and made his way down the hall towards the study. The smell of sandalwood and cinnamon wafted over him as he made his way through the familiar surroundings until he came to a door in the hall that was left slightly ajar. The room was dark except the pale moonlight that shone through the large french doors that lay beyond what he could see. 

_ Tap. Tap. Tap.  _ Iwaizumi slowly tapped the wood of the doorframe three times to indicate he had arrived. 

“Enter.” 

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a long, thick strip of silk fabric from his pocket as he pushed the door open and stepped into the room. Oikawa’s silhouette was crisp in the moonlight as he sat perfectly still on the edge of the chaise lounge that was in the middle of the room, with his back facing Iwaizumi as he looked out the window. 

Breathing out slowly, he stepped forward, the cloth dangling from the tips of his fingers, almost touching the floor. Once behind him, Iwaizumi reached forward, draping the cloth over Oikawa’s chest, sliding it gently up his chest, along his neck, and in front of his face. The man before him swayed in response to the motion as if he was mesmerized by the feel of the silk. Iwaizumi leaned down and kissed the tender skin of the brunette’s neck as he whispered, his voice a hiss that tickled along the man’s exposed skin. 

“I can’t have you peeking so I’m afraid I’m going to have to blind fold you now.” He dragged his tongue up Oikawa’s neck and to the base of his ear, his voice husky and warm. “You see Oikawa, I am going to put a spell on you and then you’ll be mine.” He drug out the last word with a heavy and breathy emphasis as he reached up and placed the cloth over Oikawa’s eyes, tying it in the back, tight enough to know it wouldn’t slip but not so tight as to make the man uncomfortable. 

Once he was sure that the blindfold was secure, Iwaizumi pulled off his hood and unzipped his jacket, pulling it off as he walked around to stand in front of Oikawa. As he took in the sight, his mind wandered for a moment to the situation he had experienced earlier in the day, with this man but in a much different setting. 

_ “I have plans, but I would cancel them for you.”  _

He shook his head as Oikawa’s words echoed in his mind. Now wasn’t really the time to be thinking about something like that. He was in way too deep. Stepping forward, Iwaizumi put both his hands on Oikawa’s shoulders before leaning in and kissing him passionately. The man sighed in response, opening his mouth to receive the fervent and sloppy kiss, as Iwaizumi’s hands slid slowly up his shoulders and neck before cupping his face to hold him in place. Iwaizumi’s tongue danced along every inch of his partner's mouth as their teeth clashed and Oikawa moaned with the contact. 

Iwaizumi moved forward, straddling the man below him as he continued the passionate kiss with a feverish pace, trying not to think about today, but Oikawa’s words kept coming back to his mind like a record on repeat.  _ I have plans, but I would cancel them for you. Cancel them for you. For you. _

With frustration he pulled back, letting out an unintentional sigh. Why did Oikawa have to make things so complicated? Even when he didn’t know what he was doing. 

“Hibiki-chan?” Oikawa whispered softly, his head tilting slightly to the side, as if he was looking up at him with confusion or perhaps concern, even though Iwaizumi knew that he couldn’t see him through the blindfold. 

“Humm?” He hummed in response as he leaned forward, ghosting his lips along the defined muscles of his neck, encouraging Oikawa to tilt his head farther to the side and give the man more access to his delicate skin. 

“Is everything alright?” His voice was low and breathy as he pushed it out through the pleasure that washed over him, starting to cloud his brain. 

Iwaizumi nodded as he nipped at his neck gently. “Of course,” he whispered as he pulled back a little to look down at the beautiful man whose lap he sat on. He was completely submissive to him, with his blindfold on and lit in only the faint moonlight he almost looked surreal, something mythical and magical that didn’t belong in this world. 

And these unwelcome thoughts had to stop. 

Five years. Maybe trying to keep this up for five years really had been a bad idea. 

Iwaizumi had grown up in a completely different world than Oikawa had. He grew up poor, with a drunk for a father and a flaky mother, it had been a miracle that he had made it through school as it was, but no matter how hard he worked he didn’t have the money to go to university. His father's debts had been placed on his shoulders and he had nowhere to go to escape. 

So he did the only thing he could to provide for himself: he sold his body. And that was how he had met Oikawa. And to this day Oikawa didn’t have a clue who he really was. 

His pseudonym was Hibiki Yasu, and though Oikawa occasionally heard his voice during their dates, he had never seen his face. When Oikawa had first come to the agency Iwaizumi had worked at, he had a specific request: he didn’t want to see, he just wanted to feel; he wanted sensory deprivation. 

Naturally, Iwaizumi was happy to oblige. It meant that he didn’t have to face a smile or make sure he wore an interested expression. As long as this customer felt the pleasure, he wouldn’t know any different. And apparently he felt the pleasure, because Oikawa began to request only him. And once Iwaizumi had saved up enough to start university after a year, Oikawa was one of the few clients that continued to contact him after he left the agency, which helped him pay his bills. 

Two years after first meeting Oikawa, he heard about the open position at the museum where Oikawa worked. Oikawa has just been talking, like he did while Iwaizumi got dressed after a date, when he mentioned that his job had been stressful recently as they had been struggling to fill a position after having to fire someone suddenly. 

Iwaizumi hadn’t been expecting to qualify for the position but he decided to at least try. Working as a security officer would at least be a lot better than what he was doing now. He never told Oikawa of course, at best it would help him get the job, but he would have to work with his boss, knowing what he has done and having experienced it himself. And of course, on the flip side, Oikawa was serious about his work and probably wouldn’t want to hire a security officer who had previously made a living doing such frowned upon services. 

He was surprised when he got the job. And was even more thrilled that he could drop his clients and start living a normal life. Even if he did have to see Oikawa everyday, his boss didn’t know what he did and didn’t know that he knew far too much about his bosses preferences in bed. But for some reason, though he had dropped all his other clients, he kept seeing Oikawa. Every time he would get that text, he would intend to tell him he was no longer seeing clients but he would end up texting back and agreeing to meet up. 

So here he was, now the supervisor of the security staff at the museum, he had finished school, had his own apartment, and a career, but he still could never say no to Oikawa. 

“I’m just trying to decide exactly what I want to do to you once I have you under my spell.” he breathed low in Oikawa’s ear as he rolled his hips gently against the man’s lap eliciting a surprised moan from him. Sliding slowly off, Iwaizumi put one hand on the other man’s chest guiding him to shift and lay back on the chaise as he lowered himself to his knees on the floor between Oikawa’s legs still dangling off the edge. 

The curator moaned and bit his bottom lip as he felt large, firm hands inching up his thighs and the pressure of Iwaizumi’s mouth over the ever growing bulge in his pants. He craved for more and Iwaizumi had to hold back a smirk at how easy it was to make this normally arrogant and self-important man writhe under the simplest touch. 

Once his hands found Oikawa’s hips he reached up undoing the buckle of his belt and unfastening his pants. As soon as he had finished the brunette lifted his hips allowing Iwaizumi to remove the clothing. Iwaizumi’s mouth only left him just long enough for the clothing to be removed before Oikawa found himself being taken into the man’s warm and wet mouth without warning. 

“Gah…” he breathed out as his hips instinctively buckled forward wanting more. He reached down till his fingers found the familiar feeling of short smooth hair and grasped onto the locks firmly as his partners head bobbed up and down. “Mmm, Hibi-cha..ah..ha” he huffed and moaned, not able to finish the words as he felt himself being taken even deeper into the man’s mouth. 

Oikawa’s breathing became erratic as he felt himself reaching his climax and as he felt himself peak he gripped tighter onto Iwaizumi’s hair unable to stop himself any longer from thrusting forward into this man's mouth as he rode out his orgasim. When he was finished he let his body fall limply back onto the chaise, his hand that had been entangled in Iwaizumi’s locks fell to the side. 

But Iwaizumi didn’t give him a chance to catch his breath before starting his next task. The only warning that Oikawa received was the click sound as Iwaizumi opened a bottle before he felt the suddenly cold sensation of lubricant against his hole and the sensation of a single large digit entering him. He moaned as Iwaizumi’s hand moved in and out, warming and stretching him in the most pleasurable ways. 

By the time he put in the second finger and started to scissor him, Oikawa was a moaning mess once again. “Mmm...oh...Hibi…you are so damn good at this…” he cursed under his breath arching his back as Iwaizumi found a particularly pleasurable angle. “you know exactly how to touch me...ah..ha…” 

Iwaizumi didn’t respond but Oikawa thought that he heard a soft low chuckle from the man as he reached up and his fingers began to slowly move up his dress shirt, undoing each of the buttons one at a time until the cloth feel open to revel Oikawa’s sculpted chest. Oikawa felt a tingle run down his spine as large warm hands began to caress the curves of his muscles making their way up from his abs to his chest, teasing his sensitive nipples one at a time. 

When Iwaizumi removed both his hands and stood up Oikawa whimpered at the loss. 

“Patience.” Iwaizumi ordered in a low husky voice and Oikawa could hear the sound of the man undoing his own belt. “I’m not finished yet. Are you ready?” Oikawa nodded and listened closely trying to hear the sound of rustling clothing above his own heavy breathing. 

Reaching down, Iwaizumi guided both of Oikawa’s hands up above his head and in the same moment the curator felt the warm, firm body press up against him he heard a loud click and the feeling of cold metal around his wrist. Though the handcuffs were secure Iwaizumi kept one large hand around the burnett's wrist as his other hand adjusted Oikawa’s legs so that he could get into position. 

Leaning down, Iwaizumi nipped at his partner’s ear lobe before whispering. “Are you sure you’re ready? Because once I put my spell on you, you’ll be mine.” 

Oikawa whimpered in anticipation before he moaned, feeling the man’s own erect member brushing against his entrance, warm and aching to fill Oikawa. “Yes, what are you waiting for?” he breathed feeling impatient and craving what was about to come. “Make me yours. Take me.” 

And with those words Iwaizumi did just that. With one swift thrust he entered and shattered any coherent thought Oikawa had into oblivion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, this is not where I had planned for this chapter to go. Haha! But I have no regrets! I did intend most of this chapter to be more cute daddy-Tsukki and Haru-kun moments but once I started to introduce Oikawa and his role in this fic I just felt the need to keep going. There will be lots of Tsukki & Haru moments still to come anyway! I hope you all liked it. My next chapter will also be focused on another couple that will be in the background of this fic that I am really excited about. Let me know what you think!! 
> 
> -chan: Is for anything cute. That means you’ll usually attach -chan to girls names, young boys, babies, and even sometimes pets. But also you’ll hear it used with celebrity names, boyfriends, girlfriends, close friends, siblings, grandparents etc.   
> Megane: Glasses   
> -kun: is most often used for younger boys, it’s not exclusive. The meaning expresses respect for someone of “lower” status than you or, most often, younger than you.  
> -san: the English equivalent is "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Ms.". This is a gender neutral word and is the most common honorific used.


	11. Halloween Special: Love Lies Bleeding

“Ani!” 

Hinata turned around just in time to nearly be tackled with a hug, causing him to drop the flowers he had been holding in his hand onto the counter. He blinked and his eyes shifted down to the orange hair that was now tickling his nose as his sister tried to bury her face in his chest. Leaning his head back, so that he could speak without eating her hair, Hinata reached up and patted her head gently. 

“What happened? Is everything okay?” 

Natsu pulled back and looked up at her older brother with a pout and Hinata had to resist the urge to smile at how cute she looked. Now a second year student at Johzenji High, Hinata Natsu was really growing up; but her older brother still saw the little sister who would always follow him around as a kid. She had grown out her bright orange hair and wore it down, with a small section from the front of her hair pulled back into a beret in an attempt to keep it out of her face. She still had the same big, beautiful brown eyes, now framed with full beautiful lashes. Hinata knew that since junior high she had been very popular among the boys because of this. 

“Boys are so stupid!” 

Well, popular with boys, except the one boy she wanted attention from. 

The corner of Hinata’s mouth twisted up into a soft, knowing smile that was sympathetic but amused. Turning around, he picked the Jules Elie peonies he had dropped, and inspected them to assure they hadn’t been damaged before he returned to arranging them in the vase of ivory dendrobium orchids and Queen Anne’s lace that he was arranging for a wedding the following weekend. 

“What did Takeda do?” 

“Nothing,” she mumbled, leaning forward and resting one elbow on the counter as she reached over, adjusting a few of the orchids in the arrangement. “He is just clueless. Are all boys so clueless?” 

“Speaking as a former high school boy, I would have to say yes.” Hinata chuckled. His poor little sister had been crazy about Takeda Minakami since their second year of junior high when they were in the same class. Takeda, or Kami as many people often called him, was a good kid, hardworking, nice, and energetic. But he was completely clueless that Hinata’s little sister liked him. Natsu had even worked to get the position of the manager of the boys volleyball club rather than joining the girls team, because she wanted to be there to support him. 

Being the nephew of Takeda Ittetsu, who was the youth program coordinator at the Karasuno Sports Center that he played volleyball at, as well as being a member of Yamaguchi’s High School Volleyball team, Hinata had met the boy on many occasions. He was a talented player, a libro, and likely to be the team captain once the third years left. Hinata wished that he could give his sister some sound advice but, despite that he was nice and friendly, the boy’s mind was filled with only volleyball and school. He had a plan for his future and, though he didn’t think Takeda would be opposed to dating someone, he clearly didn’t think about it. 

Natsu sighed, standing up again. “Where’s mom?” 

“She went out with a friend,” Hinata replied with a smile. He was happy that his mother could take time to do things like that these days. Running their family flower shop had been very taxing on her. She loved the work but it took up so much of her time. Since Hinata had graduated university, his mother had trusted him to manage things at the shop almost completely, which allowed her some much needed relaxation time. These days he hardly ever even needed her help in the shop. With Natsu helping on weekends and the few part time university students who worked there, he had everything under control. 

“Well, I’m going to go home and do some homework,” she said, as a bell rang, signalling that a customer had entered the shop. “Seeya!” She ran around the counter and passed the new customer as she left through the front door.

Well her moods sure shift fast. 

“Welcome to Sakura Studio!” he chimed cheerfully as he looked up to greet his new customer, and found himself having to consciously keep himself from gawking. Standing in front of him, looking at the cooler full of premade displays, was a tall, raven-haired man dressed in black slacks and a rich, navy blue button up shirt that was tucked in, but the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and it was only buttoned up halfway, revealing a black t-shirt underneath. At his waist he wore a utility belt that held both a set of handcuffs and a gun. 

Hinata shook his head to focus himself as he set down the peonies and walked around the counter to assist the man properly. 

“Good afternoon sir. Is there something I can help you find today?” When the man turned to look at him Hinata’s heart nearly leapt into his throat. He might have even jumped a little - though he would choose to act like that didn’t happen. The man standing in front of him had an intense stare as he looked down at the shorter male with a pair of dark blue eyes. Hinata felt like those eyes were piercing through him, but they also were so captivating he had to focus on not stuttering as he continued, “If nothing here fits what you are looking for we do custom arrangements. I can help you build the perfect bouquet.” 

The man stood up straighter, looking down at the shorter floral shop employee as he folded his arms. Hinata felt like the dark-haired man was gauging him to determine whether or not he was even worthy to communicate with a superior being such as himself. But finally, after an uncomfortable moment, he spoke, and his voice was surprisingly calm and even. 

“I’m not even really sure what I am looking for myself,” he admitted, unfolding his arms and putting his hands in his pocket, shifting his body to put his weight more to one side. “I was sent here by my sister to get some flower arrangements for her salon.” 

Though his comment had been a statement, the inflection of the voice made it clear that it was more of a question. This man clearly had no idea what he was expected to get and was lost and frustrated that he had been given such a task. Hinata smiled. 

“How many arrangements does she need?” 

“Uh, she said three.” He shifted his weight again and pulled out his phone, pulling up a text his sister had sent with her specifications, reading it aloud to the florist. “Three arrangements. One large one for the front desk and two smaller ones for the tables between the client stations. I want them to look elegant but Halloween-ish.” He put his phone away, looking back down at Hinata, hoping that he understood what that meant. 

“Humm…” Hinata put one hand on his hip as he tapped a finger on his lips with his other hand, pondering the request. “What kind of salon does she have?” 

“She is a hair and make-up artist.”

“Ooh!” Hinata perked up, causing the man to step back, startled by the sudden energy. “Does she do hair and make-up for weddings?” 

“Uh...” He stared at the orange haired florist, perplexed. “I think so?...”

“I have been looking to connect with someone in that field. I would love to get her contact information. If she would be okay with it, I have a lot of customers who come in for flowers and often ask for recommendations for other wedding-related services like that.” He beamed up at the tall ravenette before taking a step back, his smile turning a little sheepish. “Sorry, sorry. We can talk about that after. Let’s find you the perfect flowers for these arrangements.” 

The Hinata turned and started walking towards the door to their left, which led to the cooler that held all the flowers. The man followed him, a little uncertain. After stepping in, he was overwhelmed by the floral scent and the amount and variety of flowers in this small space. 

“Let’s see…” Hinata mumbled to himself as his mind went into work mode, almost tuning out the man watching him curiously as he moved about the space. 

Pulling over a little cart, Hinata started gathering a few flowers and placing them gently into a water-filled bucket that was already laying on the cart. Black calla lilies, quicksand roses, and scabiosa pods would make a good base for each arrangement and he felt that they would give the proper elegant but Halloween feeling this lady was looking for. Then he grabbed some fiddlehead ferns and myrtle for fillers. Now he just needed an accent. 

Hinata paced back and forth, occasionally picking up a flower and examining it before putting it back and moving onto another flower. The taller male watched his process with curiosity. He had never considered the effort that would go into something like this. He always just assumed that you could throw flowers together in a vase and call it good. It had never occurred to him that choosing and arranging the flowers was so important. 

“Oh I know!” Hinata exclaimed, making his customer jump slightly, startled by the sudden volume after it having been quiet for so long. Running over to the back corner, he pulled out a bundle of flowers that were long and droopy with an almost burgundy-red color, bringing it over to the cart. “These will be a perfect accent. The amaranthus caudatus will fit really well with these other flowers, and also it’s more commonly known name is very fitting for Halloween: love lies bleeding.” 

He smiled up at his customer who was just staring at him, confused. “That’s uh...a bit morbid.” 

Hinata snorted with a smile as he put the amaranthus into the bucket with the rest of the flowers. “It’s only called that because of how it looks. Actually, this flower has heavy roots in Greek mythology and symbolizes immortality.”

The dark-haired man just nodded. He didn’t particularly care why the flower was called what it was, or the symbolism of the flower in general. And he only found it mildly interesting that the man was so well versed in the history of flowers. But he didn’t want to be rude. 

“Would you like to send your sister a picture of these flowers and see if they will work for what she wants?” 

“Huh?” The man had to focus back on the florist’s face, realizing that he had become distracted by the bright orange and disheveled hair that bounced everytime the man took a step. “Picture. Right.” 

He pulled out his phone as Hinata squatted down by the flowers, reaching over and arranging them slightly to make sure that everything was properly visible and that the picture would show everything like it needed to. After taking the picture he opened it up to look at it and make sure that he got everything in it before sending it to his sister. 

“We can leave these in here and you are welcome to come wait on the bench we have in the shop while you wait for her response,” Hinata offered as he pushed the cart to the side and led him back out into the main shop, showing him where the bench was before going over to the counter to continue the arrangement he had been working on. 

The ravenette sat down, pulling out his phone as he heard the  _ ping  _ that signaled his sister's response. 

**[16:38] Kageyama Miwa:** Forget the flowers! Who is that cutie kneeling next to them!? 

_ Forget the flowers?  _ Kageyama scrunched his eyes in confusion before he opened up the picture to look at it again and realized what she was talking about. When he had taken the picture, the orange-haired florist had still been kneeling next to the flowers and was framed perfectly in the picture, looking down and touching the end of one of the amaranths gently. He blushed as he realized the picture looked like he had been taking it to capture an image of the florist, while he actually wasn't paying attention. 

**[16:39] Kageyama Tobio:** That’s just the florist I was not intending to take a picture of him he just said to send you a picture to make sure you liked the flowers. 

**[16:41] Kageyama Miwa:** Well you should totally ask him out. Super cute! 

Kageyama glared at his phone, annoyed. Why was she pestering him about this? Why did she always have to pester him about his love life in general? It was bad enough that she had asked him to come take care of this for her today after work when all he wanted to do was go home and relax, but now she was going to harass him to ask out a stranger? 

**[16:42] Kageyama Tobio:** Do you like the flowers or not? 

**[16:42] Kageyama Miwa:** Boo! You’re no fun! LOL

**[16:43] Kageyama Miwa:** Yes I like the flowers Tobio. 

Sighing with relief, Kageyama stood up, sending one last text as an afterthought. 

**[16:45] Kageyama Tobio:** He mentioned earlier that he has been wanting to find a hair and make-up artist that he could refer customers to. I guess he has a lot of people when they come in for wedding stuff asking if he knows others in related fields. 

He walked over to the counter and Hinata looked up as he approached. He smiled and those brown eyes seemed to sparkle. He was almost blinding to look at, like trying to stare at the sun. How could one person radiate so much warmth and light? 

“My sisters say she likes them,” he said flatly. 

“Perfect!” Hinata put down the flowers he was working with and walked over to the computer to type in the order. “This should only take me a day to complete so you could pick them up tomorrow, anytime after noon. Does that work for you?” 

Kageyama simply nodded, looking down at his phone to see his sister’s reply.

**[16:47] Kageyama Miwa:** Yes! That would be great! Get his contact information for me and tell him I would love to network with him. 

“Also...” He returned his phone to his pocket and looked back at the shorter man. “She said she would love to network with you and wants your contact information.”

“That’s great! Thank you!” The florist pulled a business card out of one of the drawers and set it on the counter. Flipping it over he quickly jotted something down on the back before handing it to Kageyama. “Here is my card with the shop information on it and my email. I wrote my cell number on the back, tell your sister she can call or text me anytime.” 

Kageyama took the card and placed it in his pocket with a nod. “Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.” 

“Okay!” Hinata chimed, waving in large arches as the man turned and started to walk out of the shop. “See you tomorrow! Have a nice day!” Kageyama waved a hand once without turning around as he opened the door, the bell jingling behind him as he walked out of the shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ani: Older brother (when referring to your own older brother)


	12. Halloween Special: October Nights

“Man, what a night!” 

Sawamura looked over at his partner as they walked into the little coffee shop that had become a frequent stop for them during their patrol shifts. Futakuchi shook out his short brown hair, flipping his bangs to the side to keep them out of his face, as he reached his arms above his head, stretching. 

Sawamura hummed in agreement as he placed their order before they took a seat at a table in the back corner of the cafe. “Typical on Halloween. People think they can do crazy things just because it’s socially acceptable to walk around in disguises.” 

“It’s the same every year,” his partner agreed, leaning back in his chair as he looked out the window, watching the people pass by. “Though I have to admit I wasn’t much better growng up. I never did anything illegal but I definitely caused my share of mischief on nights like tonight in my youth.” 

“That does not surprise me.” Sawamura chuckled.

“But all those days are behind me. Now I am a respectable keeper of the peace with a typical domestic life,” Futakuchi mocked with a smile, but his partner knew that the man was quite happy where he was now. 

“How are things going with you and your wife?” Sawamura asked as he nodded and smiled at the waitress who set down their drinks for them before walking away. “It’s been three months since the wedding. Is she sick of you yet?” 

“Ha ha very funny.” The younger of the officers smiled, taking a sip of his coffee, relishing in the warmth and strong taste. On late nights, especially nights like tonight, nothing beat a rich coffee to push him through the last of his shift. “Things are going well. Honestly, she is an angel. I come home from work to a home cooked meal, and being able to see her without having to make time to drive out and visit her is the best. I love being able to come home and she is there, smiling and happy to see me. Beats the bachelor life of living alone any day.” 

Sawamura smiled, remembering what it had been like for him when he first got married almost four years ago now. It seemed like so long ago, it was hard to picture everyday life without Yui around. And now, with their daughter in the picture, he felt truly blessed. Pulling out his phone, he opened up the text that Yui had sent him earlier. It was a picture of their daughter in her Halloween costume, a yellow and black striped onesie with little wings attached to the back and a headband with bouncing antena. He knew he was biased but he thought she was the most adorable baby he had ever seen. Everytime he looked at her his heart overflowed with gratitude that he was blessed to be this angel's father. 

“What are those idiots up to?...” Futakichi’s comment brought Sawamura out of his train of thoughts, causing him to look up from his phone to see his partner looking out the window at a couple of kids who were having a heated argument outside, which looked like it was about to get physical. With a heavy sigh Futakichi stood up, and when Sawamura went to stand up as well, his partner just held up his hand. “I’ll go check it out. It’s just a little spat. I don’t think both of us need to go, you stay and enjoy your coffee.” 

Sawamura didn’t argue as he watched his partner walk out of the diner. He leaned back, taking another sip of his beverage and closing his eyes for a moment. Only a few more hours left of his shift and he would be able to head home. Tenshi would already be in bed but he would be able to take a warm shower and then curl up with his wife and talk until they both fell asleep. It was the simple things that were the most precious to him. Those little moments that were so easy to overlook made everyday worth it. 

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a sudden commotion in the cafe. Looking up, he saw two people dressed in black cloaks with animal masks covering their faces. Both had guns out. The one who was wearing a tiger mask was waving his gun around wildly, threatening everyone to get down on the ground, while the other one wearing a dragon mask, was at the register pointing their weapon at the poor young barista. 

“Come on lady, just give me the cash now and no one has to get hurt!” the tiger man yelled, and the barista cowered. 

“I...I...can’t. The system has safety features that prevent me from pulling the money out.”

“I don’t care! Find a way to do it you little...” His sentence was cut off by his partner nudging him. “What?” 

Sawamura knew that the man had finally noticed that there was a police officer sitting in the corner and was now desperately trying to make his partner aware of it. Reacting quickly, Sawamura got to his feet, drawing his weapon at the same time that both men faced him, pointing their weapons at him. 

“Don’t even think about it,” the tiger warned. “We have you outnumbered, two to one. You’ll just get yourself hurt.” 

“Put the guns down. You don’t want to make this any worse than it already is. Attacking me will just add to your charges.”

He glared as the tiger just laughed, as if the thought was just too much for him to handle. “You think we are going to let ourselves get caught? Not a chance! Save yourself the trouble officer, you don’t have the upperhand.” Then the tiger smirked. “That ring on your left hand, you must be married. Maybe you should think about your lovely wife, hmm? I would hate to make her a widow.” This comment angered Sawamura. Who did this guy think he was, to be so confident and cocky that he would threaten to kill a cop?

Without hesitation, Sawamura stepped closer, his gun not wavering. “This is my last warning. Put the guns down and save yourselves some trouble.” 

“Hmm…” The tiger put one hand on his chin, as if he was truly considering it, before he smirked. “No.” He aimed the gun at the officer and fired three times. The people in the cafe screamed, some taking the risk to run past the masked men and out the door, but most just stayed on the floor as low as they could, terrified. 

The first bullet hit Sawamura square in the chest and the second nicked his shoulder before he could drop down to avoid it. But he had been expecting this and as soon as he was down on the ground he fired a single shot, hitting the man’s arm, causing him to drop his gun and cry out in pain. Before the dragon could register what had happened and retaliate, he found himself tackled to the ground by Futakuchi and quickly wrestled into handcuffs. 

Putting his non-injured hand over the bleeding wound in his arm, Sawamura winced as he reached over and pulled his handcuffs from his belt, sliding them over to his partner so he could cuff the first robber. Once both men were secured the young barista ran over, kneeling next to Sawamura, offering a cloth to hold against his arm and help stop the bleeding. 

“I called for an ambulance already,” she assured him in a soft, kind voice. “Are you okay?” 

“Yes, I’ll be fine. Thank you.”

Futakuchi walked over to him and knelt down in front of him. “I leave for one second and you go get yourself shot, old man?” 

Sawamaura rolled his eyes. “Shut up Futakuchi, I am only a year older than you.”

His partner smirked as they heard the sirens coming closer and the flashing lights of, not only the ambulance, but other police vehicles pulling into the parking lot. Another young officer came in and started to usher the guests out, making sure they were all okay, and sending them to the other officers waiting outside to get their statements. 

Thanks to the kevlar vest, the damage Sawamura took from this incident was minimal. He had a large and tender bruise starting to form on his chest where the bullet had hit and now had a stitched and bandaged shoulder, but not enough to even warrant him having to go to the hospital. 

“Daichi!” 

Sawamura looked up to see Yui running over to him as he sat in the back of the ambulance, the medic finishing up bandaging his shoulder. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and as she approached she reached out, gingerly touching his chest. 

“I’m alright,” he assured her, reaching up with his uninjured arm to cup her cheek and wipe away a tear with his thumb. “I’m alright, Yui. You don’t need to cry.” 

“Futakuchi called. Said you had been shot. I was so scared.” She hiccuped as more tears flowed. 

“It’s alright.” He reached out, pulling her forward gently into a hug. “Stop crying sweetheart, I am okay. Just a bruise and a little scrape on my arm, nothing to get worked up about. Where is Tenshi?”

Yui pulled back, wiping away her tears and trying her best to keep control of her emotions and stay calm like her husband. “She is in the car with Suga. He brought us some treats that were left over from his class’s party and I invited him to stay for dinner. He was there when I got the call.” 

“Hey, Daichi-san,” Futakuchi called as he jogged over to them. “I just talked to the chief. He said to go home and that you can do your statement later.” 

“Are you sure?” Sawamura asked, standing up carefully, his wife fussing over him to make sure he was really alright. 

“Yeah, just go on home. We’ve got this all under control, don’t worry.” He gave his partner a thumbs up and a wink before walking back over to the other officers now on the scene. 

Yui put her hand on her husband's back, urging him to go with her to the car. “Come on, let's get you home. I don’t care if the injuries were minor, you need to go home and rest, okay?” 

Sawamura smiled at his wife lovingly. “Yes dear.”

He allowed her to help him to the car where Sugawara was sitting in the backseat, entertaining Tenshi with a plastic keychain toy. His friend looked over at them as Sawamura slowly got into the front seat, his face was as full of concern as Yui’s was but he didn’t press the matter, he just seemed relieved to see his friend was okay. 

Sugawara insisted to Yui that he would stay over and help out so that she could take care of her husband - despite said husband's many reminders that he was in fact alright and didn’t really need to be tended to. He took care of cleaning up the remains of dinner, doing the dishes, and getting Tenshi ready for bed. Despite not needing the help, Sawamura was grateful for his friend’s kindness and for allowing his wife to be able to feel at ease, so that she could fuss over him all she wanted. 

Laying in bed, Sawamura looked down at Yui, who was now fast asleep next to him. He smiled and carefully leaned over, kissing her forehead. He truly did feel blessed for what he had. A beautiful, loving wife, a perfect little daughter, and friends that he could rely on when he needed them. He couldn’t ask for anything more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -san: the English equivalent is "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Ms.". This is a gender neutral word and is the most common honorific used.


	13. Halloween Special: Weekend Haunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Special shoutout to my awesome Beta reader/Editor! You are the best! Thank you so much for being available and making time to edit my work even though I have been so bad this week and all of my work has been sent to you last minute.   
> \--For anyone interested my Beta is also a writer and has a few works posted online through Wattpad, currently she only has a few Miraculous Ladybug and Percy Jackson Fics but I know she has been writing more recently and will be having some Haikyuu!! OneShots coming in the near future (which I had to honor of editing. They are so cute!) Her username is @TrustMeImANerd --

“One! Two! Three! Shot!” The five boys kneeling around the glass coffee table that sat in the middle of the room tipped back their heads and downed shots of a bright green liquid, followed by the gasps and moans as it burned on the way down. 

“Whoo!” Inuoka cheered, putting his arm around Fukunaga who sat to his left, still blinking wide eyed at the sensation the alcohol had left on his tongue and down his throat. “That’s the stuff! What did you say this stuff was called again?” He looked across the table at Lev who was sitting behind Yaku with his legs on either side and his arms casually around his boyfriend. 

“Absinthe,” Lev responded with a smile as he watched his boyfriend pour himself another shot glass as if he had not been affected. 

“Another round for me!” Yamamoto cheered, holding out his glass, followed by the whoops of agreement from Kuroo,Teshiro and Inuoka as they all moved their glasses forward onto the table to be refilled. Fukunaga’s glass was moved forward by Inuoka without asking, and Yaku downed his second shot and placed his cup back down for a third. Lev reached over and filled each glass up with precision and finesse.

Behind Kuroo, sitting on the couch, Kenma listened to their caterwauling, disinterested as he played a mobile game on his phone while Kai and Shibayama sat next to him, observing the group on the floor, amused, while they sipped their own beverages. 

This was a pretty common setting for the gang of Nekoma apartment complex men when they hung out. Although they rotated who’s apartment they went to, Lev and Yaku’s was usually a favorite simply because the couple had a three bedroom apartment that was the most spacious floor plan the building had to offer. And of course, their apartment was always stocked with a large variety of alcohol. 

“So, how did you little project go?” Inuoka asked after they had taken their shot. He leaned back on his palms and looked over at Kuroo curiously. 

“My project?” Kuroo asked as he leaned against the couch, the back of his head resting against Kenma’s knee. “What are you talking about?” 

“Obviously whatever it was you were up to at the club the other night,” Yamamoto cut in, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the table. 

“We all could tell you were up to something,” Sibayama said casually as he took a long, slow sip of his drink. “You get this look on your face when you start to scheme.”

“Not to mention, Lev came back from whatever assignment you gave him with a girl.” Inuoka snickered and had to duck a shot glass being thrown at him. 

“I am not happy with that Kuroo.” Yaku looked over, glaring at their messy-haired companion who only smirked in response.

Lev tightened his arms around his boyfriend, hoping to get him to calm down. Yaku was always extra feisty when he was drunk and he had already been in a bad moon since that evening. Lev didn’t really want him to start to try and pick a fight with Kuroo in their living room. Especially since, despite Yaku’s fearlessness, Lev was sure that Kuroo was one of the only members of their group that Yaku wouldn't have a chance at defeating. 

“Calm down Yaku. All I did was spill a drink on her to get her away from someone.” Lev tried to reason and as a result got head butted by the short man in his arms. “Ow…” he winced, reaching up one hand to rub his chin. 

“Because he knew you would get her attention. He was using you for your looks. I am not okay with that.” 

“You know I meant no harm,” Kuroo said with a smile as he filled up his shot glass once again and slid it across the table as a peace offering. “I had faith in Lev. He is loyal like a little puppy. I wasn’t taking a risk and you know it.” Yaku grumbled but took the shot as Lev smiled brightly, wrapping his arms around him tightly once more. 

“Oooh, so you were after someone?” Yamamoto smirked and both he and Inuoka leaned in, eager to learn the details. 

“Yes. I was trying to get someone alone so I could talk to him.” 

They all waited but Kuroo didn’t offer anything more. After only a minute Inuoka couldn’t take it anymore and finally burst out, “come on man, tell us more! How did it go? Who is this guy?” 

“He tricked him into accepting a date,” Kenma pitched in without looking up from his game. Kuroo hit his head back against his roommate's knee in hopes of messing him up but Kenma had anticipated this move and simply held his arms up so that the bump wouldn’t jostle him. 

“Smooth Kuroo!” Yamamoto hollered, punching him in the shoulder way too hard and nearly knocking him over. The whole group laughed. 

_ Knock. Knock. Knock.  _

A fast rapping came from the door. Lev smiled brightly as he stood up causing Yaku to nearly fall over at the sudden loss of support behind him. “Maybe it’s trick-or-treaters” he said as he happily went over to the door. From where they sat in the living room the rest of the group could hear the happy voices of a small group of children calling out. 

“Trick-or-Treat!” 

“Look at you” Lev cooed over the children’s costumes. “We have a ninja and two crayons.” 

“Thank you sir,” one of the children said and Inuoka perked up quickly, stumbling to his feet. 

“Hey! Hey! I know that voice!” 

He ran over to the door before Lev could shut it and smiled brightly at seeing the young boy dressed in the black ninja costume with his younger twin sisters dressed as a purple and pink crayon. They had chocolate brown hair but the same bright green eyes as their older brother, a trait which all three had inherited from their mother. The boy brightened when he saw Inuoka appear in the doorway. 

“Hey Inuoka-sensei.” 

“Sawai-kun.” Inuoka went over and patted the boy’s head affectionately before kneeling down to bring himself to the young girls’ eye levels. “It’s nice to see you out with your sisters. Are you three having fun tonight?” 

“Yes sensei!” Both girls giggled together, going closer to hug their neighbor and older brother's teacher. 

“We are getting candy.” The pink crayon, Sawai Karen, beamed up at him as she held out her bucket for Inuoka to see. 

“Yeah!” The purple crayon, Sawai Mio, pitched in, holding out her bucket for him to examine. “Lots of candy!” 

Grinning from ear to ear Inuoka reached up patting each girl on the head. “Good. Just make sure you don’t spoil your dinner tonight. You have to remember to eat properly so you can grow big and come be my students one day, just like your big brother.” He glanced back up at Sawai and winked before standing back up. “Where is your mom tonight?” 

“Working,” Sawai answered for the three of them. “She has projects that she really needs to get finished this weekend so she said we should go without her this year.” 

“Mama painting,” Mio summed up as her twin nodded in agreement. 

Inuoka smiled softly at the children. Sawai Masako was a talented artist who made a living painting and selling her artwork. Tall and thin with an elegant figure, Masako had soft black hair that fell nearly down to her elbows, though most of the time it was pulled up in a messy knot on top of her head to keep it out of her way while she worked. She was soft spoken but energetic and had a pure, gentle heart. Inuoka had fallen for her from the moment he had met her when she moved into the apartment complex four years ago. 

But there was one problem. She was married...

_...When she had first moved in Inuoka was in his senior year at university. One day, when getting home from his job as a student teacher, he noticed his neighbor’s door was propped open with some boxes and it was clear that someone was moving in.  _

_ “Toshiaki, no!”  _

_ Inuoka’s curiosity got the better of him and he peaked around the open doorway to see a woman wearing paint-splattered overall over a white shirt. She was barefoot and had rolled up the legs of her pants almost to her knees. She was attempting to wrangle a young boy with little success and, after a moment, the boy broke free of her grasp and bolted for the door.  _

_ “Toshi!” she cried out, panic filling her green eyes at her son rushing off in a new and unfamiliar place.  _

_ Quickly dropping his bag and the books he had been carrying, Inuoka snatched the boy around the waist and picked him up before he could get more than two steps out of the door. “Whoa there, buddy,” he chuckled. “Where do you think you are going?”  _

_ “No!” the boy wailed, wiggling in an attempt to get out of his arms. “Let me go! I don't wanna take a nap!”  _

_ “Thank you so much.” Inuoka looked up to see his mother now standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips, trying to catch her breath. She looked exhausted and disheveled. Her hair was starting to fall out of the knot she had it in and a few loose strands framed her delicate face. “He had just been so riled up, normally he is a good boy. I promise we won't be bothersome neighbors.”  _

_ “No, no. No worries.” Inuoka smiled, trying to steady his heart back to a normal pace after being so stunned by her simple and radiant beauty. “I understand how kids are. A move is very stressful on a child and they don’t know how to cope with that stress, so usually they just end up acting out.”  _

_ The look on her face after he spoke nearly melted his heart. She looked so touched, like that simple act of kindness and understanding might just bring her to tears. The poor woman looked like she was at her wits end trying to balance everything and no one had bothered to stop and show her even the simplest gesture of warmth.  _

_ “Thank you so much.” She smiled and Inuoka had to recalibrate his heartbeat again.  _

_ “It’s no problem. I work with children most of the day so I completely understand the whims of their emotions.” He peeked into her apartment again, noticing how few boxes were actually in the apartment. “Did you just start moving things in?” _

_ “Oh uh?” She tucked a few of her loose strands of hair behind her ear as she glanced back at her very empty apartment, almost embarrassed. “No actually, I’ve been working for most of the day actually. I had hoped that I would be further along by now… My husband will be home in a few hours and I had wanted to at least have everything moved in so he didn’t have to worry about it after working a long day.”  _

_ And that was when his heart decided to stop beating all together.  _

_ Husband. Of course she would have a husband. Inuoka didn’t know why that information surprised him so much or hit him so hard. This beautiful woman with a young child would of course not be a single mother. What man in his right mind would abandon these two precious people.  _

_ “You have been moving boxes all by yourself?” Inuoka once again felt his heart melt for this woman and her current predicament.  _

_ “Yeah.” She smiled, laughing lightly. He could tell that she was fighting to stay positive, despite everything that was clearly weighing her down.  _

_ “I would be happy to help if you wouldn’t mind?” he offered as he adjusted her son in his arms, the boy having started to calm down, clearly sleepy though he was fighting his nap.  _

_ “Oh no, I couldn’t ask that of you. We just met and that...” _

_ “Nonsense,” Inuoka cut her off with a grin. “That’s what neighbors do for each other. Why don’t you take your son and put him down and I’ll go see if my roommates are home. We would be happy to help you out.”  _

_ Once again the woman looked like she was going to cry from the simple offer of kindness. Reaching out, she took back her son cradling him gently in her arms. “Thank you so much…” She hesitated, realizing in the initial chaos of their meeting they hadn’t even introduced themselves.  _

_ “Inuoka So.” He smiled, responding to the unspoken question.  _

_ Her returning smile sent enough electricity through his body to not only jump start his heart once more but send it racing away too fast for him to catch it and take control again. “Thank you so much Inuoka-san. I’m Sawai Masako, and this is my son Toshiaki.”  _

* * *

_ Thankfully, all it took for Inuoka to convince Yamamoto and Kai to help out with moving their neighbor in was to buy them dinner. With the three of them working together they were able to get all of the Sawai family’s belonging off the truck and up into their apartment in just a little under two hours. This allowed Masako to be able to put her son down for his nap and start unpacking a few of the family’s essentials.  _

_ “How can I ever repay you three?” Masako asked as she stepped out of the kitchen, drying off her hand with a dishtowel.  _

_ “No need.” Kai smiled, dusting off his hands. “It was our pleasure to help.” _

_ “I feel so blessed to have such kind neighbors. I’m glad to know that we will have you around if we ever need anything.”  _

_ Inuoka really hoped that she meant it. He wanted to help her in any way he could. He was just opening his mouth to ask if there was anything else that he could help with when someone came through the front door, slamming it shut behind them, making both Inuoka and Masako jump.  _

_ “Masa why is…” The man paused when he walked into the kitchen to find his wife standing there with three strangers. “What the hell is going on here?”  _

_ Inuoka couldn’t help but notice the split second glimpse of panic that crossed Masako’s face. “Jiro-chan, these nice men are our neighbors. They were kind enough to offer me some help moving all the boxes into the apartment so you wouldn’t have to worry about it when you got home. Isn’t that great?”  _

_ The man huffed, dropping his coat and work bag on top of a box in the doorway as he walked further into the apartment. “Yeah, that’s nice of them,” he finally said, and then in the same breath asked, “is dinner ready?” and plopped onto the couch... _

...That had been his first encounter with Sawai Jiro, and he hadn't had a positive one since. The man worked during the day but hardly any of the money went to provide for his family, other than the basic utilities and rent, so his wife had to push herself to supplement their income. Food, clothes, school expenses, all of that had to be provided by Masako if they wanted it. He was never present for his son’s school activities or parent teacher meetings. And though he had no proof, Inuoka had a gut feeling that the man wasn’t faithful.

From what he had seen, the man never physically or verbally abused his wife or children but he was a rotten husband and a lousy father. And it made Inuoka’s blood boil. 

Standing back up, he ruffled Toshiaki’s hair once more and grinned at the children. “Well, you better get all your trick-or-treating done then so you aren’t out too late. You don’t want to worry your mama when she is working hard.” 

“Yes sensei!” All three children spoke in unison before each girl hugged his leg and Toshiaki gave him a high-five. Then the trio was off to knock on more doors and obtain more candy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sensei: Teacher   
> -kun: is most often used for younger boys, it’s not exclusive. The meaning expresses respect for someone of “lower” status than you or, most often, younger than you.  
> -san: the English equivalent is "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Ms.". This is a gender neutral word and is the most common honorific used.


	14. Halloween Special: Enchanted Corn Maze

Tsukishima leaned back in his chair at the beanbag toss booth, watching the throngs of children and parents making their way through the multiple games and activities set up at the Karasuno Sports Center. This was an annual event that the sports center had been running since it had opened nearly thirty years ago so it was very popular and always packed. And since the sports center was so kind to let their volleyball club use the facility free of charge, every year the members would help out with the festival. 

Tsukishima found it very annoying. 

He watched the booth across from him as Yamaguchi led another round of the pumpkin walk, which the coach had been placed in charge of. Sitting on a stool dressed in an orange sweater with the face of a jack o'lantern on it and a pumpkin painted on one cheek, his friend smiled as he watched the group of people walk around in a circle stepping on paper pumpkins on the floor to the beat of the halloween song ‘Monster Mash’ that was playing from a phone attached to a small portable speaker. 

When he stopped the music, Yamaguchi dunked his hand into a small plastic cauldron that was sitting on his lap, making a big show of moving his hand around to find just the right item before pulling out a small orange ping pong ball and reading the number aloud. This round a little girl dressed as a princess had her number chosen. She squealed in delight running over as Yamaguchi showed her the prizes she could pick from.

“Papa, I want to try this one!” 

Tsukishima looked over to see a young girl who looked to be about his son’s age holding the hand of a tall man with bright red hair that he wore spiked straight up. She wore a pink dress with a frilly skirt and a pair of wings on her back. She was pointing at Tsukishima’s booth and with a nod her father let the girl pull him over. 

“I would like to play this game please.” She repeated the request to Tsukishima in a surprisingly respectful manner. 

“That will be one ticket,” Tsukishima said as he stood up, going over to them. The girl looked up at her father who smiled and pulled out a ticket from his pocket, handing it to her, and she in turn handed it to Tsukishima.

He smiled softly at the girl as he took the ticket, putting it in the bin under the table. “Which color do you want?” he asked, motioning to the bowls that had different colored bean bags in them. 

“Pink please,” she said, pointing to the bowl on the far right. Her father looked down at her with a knowing smile as Tsukishima grabbed the bowl with pink bean bags in it and dumped it on the table in front of her. 

“You get six tries to get one of the bags into the top hole in Frankenstein's head. If you get at least one in you will get a prize.” 

“What if I get all six in?” 

Tsuksihima raised a brow. She had asked the question so innocently but she looked completely serious and determined. A bit overconfident in herself, he thought as he looked from her to her father before shrugging. “If you can get all six in the head I’ll let you get two prizes.”

The girl beamed, looking up at her dad who nodded with a grin before she looked back, focusing on her target as Tsukishima sat back down in his chair to watch. 

She didn’t miss a single toss. 

Impressed, he pulled out the little bucket for her to pick out one of the bouncy balls he and Haruhisa had bought for those who participated, then allowed her to pick two prizes from the larger prize box that the sports center had provided for him to give out to winners. She debated for a long moment before pulling out two woven bracelets. One was a pink color with a gold star on it, the other was a dark blue bracelet with a silver moon.

“I’ll take these two!” She looked up at her father. “Papa, can you help,” she stopped mid-sentence as she was holding out the pink bracelet for her father to put on her as her eyes lit up. “Otousan!” 

A man dressed in black slacks, and white button up shirt, and steel blue tie walked over to join the pair. A faint smile crossed his lips as he knelt on one knee to kiss the top of the girl’s head before standing back up again, placing his hand on the small of the redhead’s back and kissing his cheek. 

“Sorry it took me so long to get here, there is still just so much to do to be ready for trial next week.” 

“That’s okay.” The read head grinned. “We are just glad you made time to come out at all, with all you’ve got going on. Otousan is always so busy, busy, busy.” He swayed, sing-songing the last sentence.

The girl then began to tell him all about how she had won, getting all six bean bags in the hole, but Tsukishima’s attention was drawn away as Kiyoko, dressed in a purple witch costume, came over to him. 

“I’m here to take over for you so you can take a break for a bit.” She smiled softly. 

“Thanks.” Tsukishima pulled out the pink bean bags and put them back on the table. “Do you know where Haru is?” 

“Last time I saw him he was waiting in line at the face-painting station.” Tsukishima nodded his thanks before leaving the booth as Kiyoko turned to help the next child who was wanting to play. 

* * *

Haruhisa sat patiently in the chair as he waited for his face painting to be finished. Across from him Sawai stood behind the artist, watching her work. Sawai had a black design of a dragon painted on his face, the tail starting at his jaw right below his left ear and twisting up onto his cheek, over his eyes, and back around until the head was under his right eye. 

“Mama, it looks so cool!” he praised, resting his chin on his mother's shoulder. 

Sawai Masako smiled warmly without taking her eyes off what she was working on. “Toshi-chan, please don’t put your head on me like that while I’m trying to work.” 

“Sorry,” he mumbled, pulling back as his mother put the final touches on the design on Harushia’s cheek. She had painted three marks that ran down, across the boy's face, to look like he had been slashed by claws. 

Just as she finished Tsukishima walked up behind the Sawais. Looking down at the result, he chuckled under his breath. “Get attacked by a raptor?” 

“Yeah! Does it look cool?” Harushia beamed up at his dad. 

“Super cool.” He gave him two thumbs up. 

“What about me Tsukishima-san?” Toshiaki asked, looking up at the adult as he pointed with both hands to his face, staring up at his friend's father expectantly. “Mine is super cool too, right?” 

“Nope. Your’s is super lame,” he deadpanned as he watched the boys' face shift into disappointment. His mother smiled, rubbing her son‘s back gently. 

“He’s just teasing,” Harushia assured him as he stood up from the chair, thanking Masako for her work. “He thinks it’s funny to be mean.” 

“That’s because it is funny,” Tsukishima responded as he reached out, ruffling his son’s hair before the boy put his hat back on. 

“Are you on a break now?” 

Tsukishima nodded, watching as both of the boys stood in front of him hopefully. He raised a brow and put one hand on his hip. “Yeah. Why?” 

“Will you go with us into the enchanted corn maze?” Haruhisa asked. 

“Please, Tsukishima-san?” Toshiaki joined in the begging “They won’t let children under ten go in without an adult.” 

“I don’t know…” Tsukishima folded his arms and tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling as if he was pondering this deeply. “This is my only break...I’m kind of tired…” 

“Please!” Both boys begged in unison. Haruhisa reached forward, grasping onto the fabric of his dad’s shirt. His big, pleading brown eyes made him want to melt inside. Not that he would show that. He hadn’t intended to say no in the first place but it was no fun if he just agreed to it right off. “I might consider it, on one condition.” 

Both boys looked up with bated breath, waiting to hear his terms. Tsukishima couldn’t help but marvel at the innocence of youth. It was hard to remember a time where something so trivial, like going through a little corn maze, seemed like the biggest thing. Nowadays it was hard to get even half that excited about anything. But the look in these young eyes was full of excitement and wonder. He hoped that his son wouldn’t lose that too soon. 

“I will go with you to the enchanted maze if you two promise to help me at the bean bag toss when we get back.” 

“Deal!” They both cheered, turning to each other and high-fiving before running off towards the maze. Tsukishima smirked as he watched the pair weaving through the crowd in a rush to get there but being careful not to bump into anyone. 

“You are very kind Tsukishima-san.” Tsukishima looked over at Masako who was cleaning her brush to get ready for the next child in line for a face painting. 

“It’s not a big deal.” He shrugged, sticking his hands in his pockets. “Haruhisa has been talking about the enchanted corn maze all week. I knew he wanted to go so I had already planned on making time for it.” He then walked off towards the maze, using the advantage of his long legs to easily catch up with them before they got to the ticket booth. 

It took the boys nearly thirty minutes to figure out how to get out of the maze. Not that Tsukishima minded. It was nice to move around and not be stuck behind the booth, even if there were loud and screaming kids all around him. Plus, Haruhisa and his friend looked like they were having the time of their lives making a game out of it. 

“Doctor, I think we have gotten ourselves lost,” Toshiaki said, putting his hands on his hips and looking around with a grave expression. 

Haruhisa folded his arms, putting one hand on his chin as he looked back and forth between the three ways they could take. “This won’t do. Master Toshi, if we don’t find a way out of this forest soon we will definitely be attacked by the dinosaurs.” Dropping his hands to his side, he looked back and forth again. “We have no time to waste. Let's take the left path. We must hurry!” 

“Right!” Toshiaki agreed and they turned left and ran until they came to another crossroads. “Do you hear that?” Toshiaki’s voice dropped to a whisper. 

“Mmm,” Haruhisa nodded in agreement. “Rustling.” His tone was soft like his friends and from where he was standing Tsukishima could barely hear them. But as long as they were in sight it didn’t matter. He would let them have their fun and run out all their energy while they were at it. “The dinosaurs must be close; we have to be very careful to not let them sense us or we will never make it out alive.” 

“What about your assistant?” Toshiaki asked and Haruhisa looked at him a bit confused so his friend clarified. “Your assistant, the girl. How will we find her?” 

Tsukishima watched curiously as his son looked flustered then frantic as he shook his head at his friend who just smiled. “What are you talking about Toshi? No girls!” 

“I told you, I know I saw… Ow!” he whined as Haruhisa pinched his arm to get him to shut up. 

“No girls!” he whisper-yelled, glancing back at his father for a split second, clearly worried that his father had overheard. Tsukishima, of course, acted as if he hadn’t even been paying attention. Once satisfied, his son went back to playing his role as if nothing had happened. “Come on Master Toshi, we have to hurry. I can feel the ground shaking. Something big is coming this way!” Both boys yelled and ran down another path. 

Tsukishima followed, continuing to watch them play out their scenario as he pondered the scene from earlier. Haruhisa was worried about a girl? This was something that he hadn’t heard before. He knew it was bound to happen eventually, that his son would start taking interest in someone, but he hadn’t really thought much about it. 

What was a parent supposed to do when their child had their first crush? Did you talk to them about it? Wait until they came and talked to you? Did he need to have  _ that _ talk with him? Tsukishima shook his head. Heavens no, Haruhisa was only seven he didn’t need to know about all that, right? 

He was not prepared for anything like that. 

Thankfully, it seemed the subject didn’t come up again among the two boys as the ninja and paleontologist made their way through the rugged train of the Karasuno Sports Center enchanted corn maze, running and hiding from dinosaurs and other various bad guys. For now, it seemed Haruhisa had too many other, more important things to worry about than whatever growing crush was developing, and Tsukishima was grateful. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -san: the English equivalent is "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Ms.". This is a gender neutral word and is the most common honorific used.  
> Otousan: Father


	15. Halloween Special: Eerie Office Hours

It was just another late night at the office of  _ inSport! Magazine _ . Journalists were typing away at their computers, finishing last minute assignments to meet their deadlines, and the editor-in-chief was in his office working to make sure that everything was perfect before they submitted the work for the final print. 

Akaashi Kenji was used to keeping these kinds of hours with his job. Especially when he had to constantly wrangle a group of talented, but unfocused sports journalists who, although they produced high quality work, were easily distracted and had to constantly be reminded of deadlines. Sometimes his job seemed much less prestigious than it sounded. Half the time all the editor-in-chief was, was a glorified babysitter making sure the children all got their homework done. Except if they didn’t get it done, he was the one who would end up with a failing grade. 

Leaning back in his chair, Akaashi arched his back to stretch his stiffening muscles, mentally preparing himself for the next piece he had to review. That was when the lights flickered. Stopping mid-stretch, he looked up at the fixture above his head curiously but brushed it off and turned back to the computer to continue his work. 

Then the power went out completely. Akaashi sighed. 

He was just standing up to go and check out what might have happened when he heard a slow creaking sound to his right. Looking over, he could see the door to the storage room was cracked open slightly. He knew that he had closed it after the last time he had gone in there. Walking over, he reached out to grab the handle so he could open the door and investigate. 

Suddenly the door burst open and a large white blob lunged towards him with a loud scream. “Boo!” 

Akaashi just blinked, confused, as he stared at the figure under a white sheet who stood there awkwardly for a moment before dropping their arms and their shoulders, slouching in defeat. Akaashi reached up and pulled the sheet off to reveal one of the talented but irresponsible journalists, Bokuto Kataro, looking dejected. 

“Aa-kaaa-shii!” he whined with a pout. “That was supposed to scare you. Why don’t you look even slightly startled? 

“Sorry.” Akaashi held out the sheet to Bokuto with the same blank expression. “Did you want to try again and have me act scared.” Bokuto snatched the sheet with a frown. 

“No! That defeats the point. I was trying to scare you!” 

“Well, I apologize for disappointing you.” Akaashi moved back over to his desk and sat back down. “Have you finished your work yet?” 

“Well…” Bokuto started to say but his boss didn’t let him finish. 

“Then perhaps you should save the games of scaring people for later and finish your work so that we can all go home.” Bokuto’s shoulders slumped more as he drug his feet out of the editor-in-chief’s office, turning the light back on on his way out. 

“How did it go?” Komi Haruki, the magazine’s web designer and tech specialist, asked once Bokuto shut the door on his way out. He had been waiting outside, being the one who assisted his colleague in flickering and turning out the lights in their boss’s office. “He didn’t look like he even jumped.” 

“He didn’t,” Bokuto pouted, slumping into his desk chair. “Not even a flinch!” 

Kuroo leaned to the side to look around his computer screen and look at the journalist. “Akaashi is too calm for something like that to scare him. You need to be a little more creative.” 

“Oh! I have an idea, we should be able to at least startle him this way.” Komi said excitedly, leaning in as Kuroo leaned over his desk to listen in on this new plan, all three men grinning.

* * *

Akaashi got up from his desk after reviewing another submission. He needed to take a break and walk around, and he definitely needed fresh coffee. As he stepped out of his office he glanced around, taking a mental inventory of who was still there working and who had finished their assignments and left for the night. 

As usual, Bokuto was still sitting at his desk, tapping his fingers on the wood as he stared mindlessly at his screen. It was hard to tell if he was deep in thought or letting his mind wander because he didn’t want to work. Out of everyone in the office, Bokuto was the biggest handful. 

Kuroo, who’s desk sat against Bokuto’s, facing him, was diligently typing away. Akaashi was sure that Kuroo would have likely been finished with his work already but probably had gotten distracted chatting with Bokuto or one of the other staff members. Kuroo was a hard worker and always got his submissions in before the deadline but had a bad habit of pushing things off sometimes. 

On the other side of them he could see that Komi was also still here, though not currently sitting at his desk, his computer screen was on and his notebook that he kept all his lists of to-do’s was sitting open next to his keyboard. And in the desk facing Komi’s, Onaga Wataru, their high school sports journalist, was busy typing away with headphones on as he bounced his leg to the beat of whatever he was listening to. 

Akaashi knew that this month had been an exceptionally busy one seeing how many people were still left. In the pair of desks behind Onaga, Shirofuku Yukie, the health and nutrition journalist, and Konoha Akinori, the supplement and nutrition journalist, were also both still busy working and they rarely ever stayed late. Both of them were known for their organization and their ability to stay on top of, and usually ahead of, schedule. 

On the opposite side, behind Kuroo, Sarukui Yamato, the sports news journalist, was leaning back in his chair chatting and not doing his work until his desk mate, their national sports journalist, Washio Tatsuki threw a paperclip at him to get his attention to Akaashi who was out of his office and had looked over at them. Suddenly Sarukui was very engrossed in his work. 

It seemed that the only two that weren’t here late was their intern, Anahoirt Shuichi, and the product advertising coordinator, Suzmeda Kaori. Akaashi was going to have to put more emphasis on employees staying ahead on their work. Even with the busy month, he was a bit disappointed that so many of his staff were having to stay late so that they would meet their deadlines. Clearly he was not properly doing his job in managing them and that error needed to be corrected. 

Walking between two desk clumps, he headed into the employee break room to fill his coffee only to have someone jump in front of him out of nowhere. “Heya boss!” Komi grinned brightly but a second later his grin faltered. 

“Hello,” Akaashi responded, stepping around the man to get his coffee. “Shouldn’t you be at your desk?” 

“Yeah…” he drug out the word as he turned and started to leave the room. “I was just getting myself a snack.” He said before he walked back out to his desk. 

“Man, nothing phases him,” Sarukui said with a low whistle as he leaned back in his chair, turning to face his coworkers. 

“Something has to…” Kuroo said thoughtfully. “We just have to figure out the right thing to get him with.” 

Quickly all of them turned around, looking back at their screens and making themselves busy as Akaashi walked back out of the breakroom with his refilled coffee. Shirofuku stood up and gathered her things as the editor-in-chief walked by. 

“I just sent this month's submission to you. Sorry it was so late this month,” she said, bowing her head respectfully to Akaashi before making her way out of the office to head home. Akaashi nodded then looked at Konoha who was still keeping busy. 

“I will be finished soon as well, I’m just reviewing it one last time before I send it.” Konoha said. 

Akaashi took a sip of his coffee, pleased. “I hope that the rest of you are also getting close to turning in your submissions.” He got no responses as the remaining employees continued to make themselves look busy. Resisting a sigh, he went back into his office, shutting the door. It was going to be a late night.

* * *

As the time went on, the luck of the men remaining in the office did not improve. It seemed like nothing phased Akaashi. Despite all their tricks the editor-in-chief hadn't even flinched once. 

Onaga had suggested that they find a way to bang against the window in his office from outside, positive that that would startle anyone. After gathering all the mops and broomsticks from the closet and taping them together, Onaga had gone outside and banged the tip as hard as he could against Akaashi’s office window, causing the cleaning tools to fall apart and the mop to hit him in the head. When he came back up he was disappointed to learn that all he had gotten out of the editor for that work was a glance behind him. 

Sarukui took advantage of his chance to try and scare the boss by rigging an air horn to the bottom of Akaashi’s chair while he went to the restroom. When he came back and sat down the horn blared loudly, even startling some of them who had known it was going to happen. But Akaashi just looked down at his chair, confused, before reaching down, taking it off and getting back to work without even asking what was going on. 

Washio suggested that they send him an email with a video clip that he had seen with a major jump scare out of nowhere. They were all sure that this would work. 

**To:** akaashik@insportmag.com

**Subject: CHECK THIS OUT!!**

Check this video out! Pretty cool!!! 

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqGsT6VM8Vg ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqGsT6VM8Vg)

Five minutes later, without any reaction from Akaashi, Bokuto received an email response. 

**To:** bokutok@insportmag.com

**Subject: RE: CHECK THIS OUT!!**

While that was an interesting video and an unexpected ending, I don’t think that looking up these types of things is the best use of your time. Please get back to work so that we can go home and remember that I cannot leave until you also finish your work. 

Defeated and out of ideas, the five men turned to Kuroo with pleading glances, hoping that he would have a brilliant idea that would allow them to finally get the satisfaction of startling their boss. Kuroo leaned back in his chair and pondered this for a moment before a smirk came across his face. 

“Well it’s a little risky...Bokuto would have to be the one to do it but I think this could work.” They all leaned in close as Kuroo explained his plan. 

Kuroo figured that the reason Akaashi had not been startled before was that even though their attempts were surprising, he never felt like his life was truly in danger. Akaashi was just too level headed and calm to be illogical about those things. So the new plan was to stage a scene where Akaashi would truly believe that something was going to physically attack him, and they would use Bokuto because they two had been dating for years now and, unlike the rest of them, Bokuto wouldn’t get in trouble for trying to pull something like this off. At least not as much trouble, and Bokuto seemed completely fine with these odds. 

They helped Bokuto quietly climb on top of one of the bookshelves just outside of Akaashi’s office to wait for him to come out so that he could jump down on him and scare him. Bokuto was so anxious and excited that it was hard for him to stay still as he waited. 

Finally, Akaashi emerged and Bokuto, nearly slipping as he did so, jumped off the bookshelf and on to Akaashi’s back. But to the amazement of all that were watching, Akaashi didn’t look startled. In fact, he hadn’t even dropped the files he had been carrying. He simply just looked back at Bokuto, confused. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Dang!” Bokuto pouted as he slid off the man’s shoulders. What happened next happened so fast that before anyone else could react, it was over. 

As Bokuto slid off his boyfriend's back his heel caught against the edge of the still wobbling bookshelf that he had just leaped off of. This caused Bokuto to lose his balance and fall backward just as the entire shelf began to fall forward, ready to topple over on top of him. Akaashi’s eyes widened in horror, knowing he would be unable to prevent the shelf from falling, and with its weight it could seriously injure Bokuto. 

Without a second thought he dropped the files in his hands, the papers spreading across the floor as he dove down, wrapping his arms around Bokuto and using the momentum of his dive to roll both of them out of the way and into the wall on the opposite side. 

Breathing heavy and clutching onto the larger man, Akaashi’s heart was racing in his chest. He gripped onto the fabric of Bokuto’s shirt, burying his face further into the man’s chest. 

“Damn it Bokuto, don’t do things like that. That was extremely dangerous, you could have gotten hurt.” His voice softened as Bokuto felt his cheeks warming up at Akaashi’s reaction, the editor-in-chief trembling just slightly. “You scared me.” 

Bokuto smiled as warmth bubbled up in his chest. Not because they had finally figured out how to scare the stoic man, but because he was overwhelmed with love. He wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly. 

“I’ll be more careful Keiji,” he whispered in the man’s ear before kissing his cheek softly. “I promise.” 

Usually Akaashi would have pushed Bokuto away, he was very strict with him about being professional in the workplace and that they should never bring their relationship into the office, even if everyone there knew they were dating. But right now, he didn’t care. Bokuto was safe in his arms and he needed that right now and had no intentions of letting him go until he could calm down a little more. Only then would he get after the men in this room for wasting time pulling off these ridiculous stunts instead of getting their work done. 


	16. Halloween Special: November's Dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I finally caught up guys! I was doing so well on sticking to my posting schedule for the Halloween specials until the day of Halloween, I got home from work and then went straight over to have dinner with a friend so I just wasn’t able to get to it like I wanted. But here we are at the last chapter of the Halloween specials. This chapter is SUPER short and that is intentional it’s just meant to be a little reflection of the events of Halloween before we go back into the main story line. The next chapter should be posted sometime today or tomorrow.   
> Anyway, as always, thanks for your support!

When Tsukishima got out of the shower he pulled on a pair of comfortable pajama pants and dried his hair with a towel before letting the towel fall around his shoulders to catch any excess water that he might have missed and prevent it from falling into his bare shoulders. Slipping on his glasses, he padded down the hall and into the front room. 

Laying on the floor, still in his costume with the hat fallen to the side, Harushia lay there curled up happily sleeping, surrounded by the candy and prizes that he had received from both the museum trick-or-treating and the sports center festival. He looked so comfortable and content that Tsukishima didn’t want to move him but he didn’t want the boy catching a cold. 

Carefully, he picked him up, doing his best not to wake him as he carried him to his room. He gently removed his costume and got him into his pajamas before tucking him in. Leaning over, he kissed the top of his forehead and whispered softly, “good night little paleontologist.” Harushia stirred slightly before rolling to his side and curling up to get more comfortable. 

He turned the light off and shut the door quietly before heading back into the front room to clean up the mess. Sitting on the floor, he began to gather the candy and little toys, putting them into Harushia’s bucket as he thought back on the last few days. It had been chaotic and busy and he was thrilled it was over. Tsukishima was looking forward to things going back to the normal daily routine for a while. 

But he had to admit, despite the hectic schedule and the rushing from one event to another, there were some special memories that had been made and he was grateful for those moments. It was times like these, in the quiet hours of the night, that he would reflect on the day and see the little things that reminded him why he was so blessed to have his son in his life. The way that his son looked up to him, like he could do no wrong, the way that the boy smiled and laughed, finding joy in the small, simple things of life, and of course the way his son had managed to fill a hole in his life that he hadn't even known was there to begin with. 

Tsukishima had never wanted to be a father, and he didn’t want any more children. It still seemed like that was too much of a bother. But he was happy that he was Haruhisa’s father and he hoped that as the boy grew older he would still be proud to be his father’s son. 


	17. Conflicted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey everyone! So, I'm sorry I kind of dropped off the face of the earth for a little bit. A lot has been going on and I won't really get into details because let's be real you didn't come here to listen to me complain about the craziness of my life, you came her to read about these wonderful Volleyball idiots! Though I will say one thing. I got a puppy! She is cute and you should all be jealous! Okay, that is all, moving on...haha! Enjoy chapter eight!

Tuskishima tapped his finger on the table in a little coffee shop as he waited, trying not to think about the thing that had been on his mind far too much recently. He had already told himself he wasn't going to worry about it. He didn't have time to worry about this. But despite all that, it still plagued his mind. That dark, ridiculously messy hair, that crooked mischievous grin…. _No._ He told himself, shaking his head as he took a sip of his coffee. _This is not something I am allowing to happen._

No, Tsukishima Kei liked his life just the way it was. He wasn't looking for things to change the routine and structure that he had built for himself, and something told him that Kuroo would do just that. He was _already_ starting to do that. Tsukishima had spent way too much time thinking about this.

Like the fact that, for the last few days since Tsukishima and Kuroo had run into each other, literally, at the bar, Kuroo hadn't texted him. He had expected that when he told the man that he was allowed to text him that he would be blowing up his phone constantly, despite Tsukishima's warning not to do so. The curiosity was getting the better of him, and just as he was about to open his phone to look at the last text he had sent to the journalist, someone sat down across from him, drawing his attention away from the phone.

"Sorry Tsukki!" Yamaguchi said, sounding out of breath. "I was headed out when the vice principal stopped me to ask me how I felt about having an assistant coach for the team." Yamaguchi pulled his bag off, setting it down by his feet before he began to unwrap his scarf. Tsukishima put his phone away and gave his friend his full attention.

"It's fine. I ordered for you already," he said casually, not noticing the way that his friend's smile seemed to brighten at the thoughtfulness. "You're getting an assistant coach then?"

"It seems so!" Yamaguchi was excited about the prospect. His team was getting bigger each year and he was really looking forward to having the extra help. "Apparently one of the new teachers that is starting this week has some experience in volleyball, no coaching experience, but he played all through school. He approached the administration about helping out with the team."

Tsukishima hummed in response as the waitress came back with their coffees before leaving once more. "That will be good then, as long as he is competent and won't just throw off your practice because he is in over his head trying to be a coach."

Yamaguchi's shoulders slumped slightly as he pouted a little at the thought. "I'm trying not to think too much about how things could go wrong. You don't really think he is going to try and take over things, do you Tsukki?"

Tsukishima raised his brow as he watched his friend staring down at his coffee with a puzzled and worried look on his face. "That's not what I said, but apparently that's what you are worried about." He took a sip of his coffee and leaned back in his chair. To an onlooker Yamaguchi wouldn't seem like he was all that worried, he looked down at his coffee but still had a smile on his face, but Tsukishima knew better. The corner of his lips twitched ever so slightly as he fought to keep up that positive smile, and his hands around his cup were tense. He could tell by the slight movement in his shoulders that the man was bouncing his leg under the table. "Tadashi, stop worrying. It's your team, your job."

"But what if he is better than me?" Yamacuchi looked up at the blonde with worry-filled eyes. "What if the team likes him better?"

Tsukishima sighed, rolling his eyes. "Shut up Yamaguchi." His friend flinched but looked up at Tsukishima, feeling oddly calmed by those three words. "If you act like that and get all wishy-washy about it then he is going to do just that. It will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. You have your team's respect so just don't let this guy walk all over you. You're the head coach so stop being a baby and act like it."

At his words, Yamaguchi stared at his friend with wide eyes for a moment before his lips split into a wide grin, his eyes closing as he reached up, rubbing the back of his head, a little self conscious that he had to be called out for being such a worry-wart. "Sorry Tsukki, you're right." Still smiling, and feeling like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, he looked back as Tsukishima, watching the way he held his mug with one hand, fingers interlaced between the handle as he glances out the window, watching the people walk by bundled up in their coats to keep out the cold. "I was surprised when you said you were getting off early today. Oikawa-san let you off early?"

"Yeah, he let most of the office take a half day as a reward for the extra work we had to put in for the trick-or-treating event." Pressing his lips together, he glared out the window. Despite the current conversation, he found his mind still slipping back to the night at the club and annoyingly fussing over the implications of his conversation with the sports journalist. "Hey, Yamaguchi..."

"Yeah Tsukki?" He looked up, wiping away some whipped cream that had stuck to the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You've asked a guy out before, right?"

His friend didn't answer at first, just stared at him blinking, too shocked to know what to say. When he finally did answer it was a stuttered, jumbled sentence. "I... Me... Ask...Guy...What? N-n-no, not really." he admitted sheepishly.

"Not even just out for drinks?" Tsukishima wracked his brain, trying to think back through all the time that they had known each other. Had he ever seen Yamaguchi asking someone out? It was hard to tell, his friend didn't really date that much so he didn't have a lot of reference.

"Uh, no…" he responded shyly, feeling self conscious about his lack of experience, before his eyes seemed to double in size as a thought came to him. "Uh Tsukki, why do you ask though? Are you planning to ask someone out?"

Yamaguchi couldn't help but feel his heart clench at the thought that his friend might be interested in someone. But who could it be? Someone from work? But that didn't make sense, they didn't have any female staff that he worked closely with. Outside of work Tsuksihima didn't spend time with a lot of other people outside their own friend group. _Who could it be?_

"No," Tsukishima responded calmly and Yamaguchi felt his shoulders relax as he took a sip of his coffee to hide the relieved smile he could feel growing on his lips. "I think someone asked me out."

Yamaguchi nearly choked on his drink.

"What?"

"I think I might have agreed to go on a date with someone."

Blinking, it took Yamaguchi a moment to process what his friend had just said to him. _I think I might have agreed to go on a date with someone._ His heart was pounding in his ears as he watched his best friend's calm expression as the blonde sipped his coffee and patiently waited for Yamaguchi's brain to catch up with the information he had just been given.

"You think?" Yamaguchi finally responded, a little too loudly, drawing the attention of other patrons in the coffee shop. Shrinking his shoulders with an apologetic look, he lowered his voice as he stared back at Tsukishima in astonishment. "What do you mean, you think? Who? When? What did they say? What did you say?" The questions flew out of him as fast as his voice could manage and he felt out of breath.

Tsukishima waited patiently for Yamaguchi to be finished before he answered. His voice was calm and rather nonchalant but Yamaguchi could see the way his friends brows furrowed slightly and the tug at the corner of his lip as he fought a frown. "I mean I'm not exactly sure what I agreed to. I don't have any experience to draw from when it comes to dating men outside of what I have seen with your relationships.

"The other night at the club I ran into that train station guy, the sports journalist, and he bought me a drink. We talked for a little bit and when I was leaving he asked if I would be up for going out for a drink sometime. I agreed but now I'm not sure what exactly I agreed to."

Yamaguchi swallowed, trying not to overthink everything. But it was hard not to. The sports journalist Tsukishima had encountered at the train station was clearly interested in him, interested enough to try and get his normally antisocial friend to agree to meet with him again and he worried what that meant. Watching Tsukishima, Yamaguchi could tell that his friend was troubled by the encounter and uncomfortable not knowing what exactly the journalist's motives were.

"Well…" Yamaguchi finally said with a little hesitation. He wasn't sure why he was so hesitant to be honest with his friend about his opinion regarding the man's intentions. Was he worried how Tsukishima would react when he knew the truth? "I can't really say for sure, but it sounds to me like he wanted to ask you out on a date, but wasn't sure how you would react to it so he, uh… wanted to test the waters to see how you would react and give himself some insight in to whether or not you would be interested in a official date in the future."

Tsukishima pondered his friend's words and thought back on the interaction at the club with Kuroo. It made sense to him, a lot of sense, and it answered the question that had been plaguing his mind as to why the outspoken journalist was so insistent on getting to know him. He sighed, leaning back in his chair, not wanting to deal with this. He should just text Kuroo and tell him he changed his mind, he wasn't interested, and make it clear that he has no intention of having any sort of relationship with the man, romantically or otherwise.

But something inside him made him reluctant.

At the club, once he had let his guard down and they got talking, he had to admit that he didn't find the messy-haired man all too annoying. They had been able to talk easily and, without realizing it, Tsukishima had found himself actually enjoying the conversation. It was strange to him. It had been a long time since he had branched out to meet someone new, he usually found it so troublesome. But that night, it really hadn't been all that bad.

"You are interested in him, aren't you?" Yamaguchi said, watching him intently. It took everything in him to keep any emotion out of his tone as he asked this.

"Romantically?" Tsukishima asked, looking back as his friend who was sipping his coffee with curious eyes fixed on him. "No, not really. I mean, I guess, objectively I could see why someone would be interested in him as a partner. He is easy to talk to, when he isn't being annoying, and despite his ridiculous hair he is handsome…" His voice trailed off as he realized what he just admitted to.

Yamaguchi stared at him in disbelief before setting his mug down and lifting the back of his hand up to his mouth to cover his snickers at the look of surprise and embarrassment on Tsukishima's face. Yamaguchi's reaction only caused Tsukishima's cheeks to redden as he glared at his friend.

"Shut up, Yamaguchi." He folded his arms with a frown and the tension Yamaguchi had been feeling was broken.

"Sorry Tsukki," Yamaguchi replied, but despite his apology, he was still fighting the urge to laugh and a wide smile spread across his lips. _He really is adorable when he gets flustered…_ Yamaguchi thought and a warmth filled his chest that had nothing to do with his hot beverage.

* * *

Tsukishima watched his son walking just ahead of him with his arms held out to keep his balance as the boy put one foot in front of another on the edge of a low brick wall. The boy was nearly bouncing with excitement to be spending the afternoon at his best friend's house for the first time. His father couldn't help but smile a little watching the boy, remembering what it was like to be his age and how excited he would get to go over to Yamaguchi's home.

"Sugawara-san just texted me," Yamaguchi said, drawing his friend's attention back to the slightly shorter man walking next to him who was looking down at his phone. "Daichi-san and Yui-san just got back from Daichi's follow-up with the doctor, who told them that everything looked good and that he should have a smooth recovery. He said the wound was pretty big but still only a knick, so he should be back to work and volleyball in a couple weeks."

Yamaguchi smiled, looking back up at Tsukishima, relieved. When they had first gotten the news about their friend being involved in a shooting while on duty he had been worried sick. He was happy to know that it wasn't anything big and that Sawamura would be back to his normal routine in no time.

He smiled as another text came in from Sugawara, before reading it aloud for Tsukishima. "I guess he still insists on coming to practice Saturday morning even though he won't be able to play with us for a few weeks."

Tsukishima smirked and shook his head. "Ever the dutiful captain." He snickered, using the unofficial title that the casual team had given the police officer.

"Look! Look!" Haruhisa exclaimed, drawing the men's attention to him as he jumped off the wall and pointed up at the red brick building. "Nekoma Apartment Complex. This is it!" He read the sign that was posted in front of the old but well maintained building, grinning from ear to ear.

"He is way too excited about this." Tsukishima shook his head but smiled affectionately at his son.

Haruhisa, unable to contain his excitement any longer, ran ahead quickly, heading towards the entrance at the side of the building. He was in such a hurry that he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings and, as he turned the corner around a rather tall hedge fence, entering the apartment complex property, he collided with something solid and fell right back onto his butt with a thud.

"Oi, hey there little man. You should watch where you are going."

Looking up, Haruhisa's eyes met with a single hazel eye that seemed very cat-like and he couldn't tell if the man looking down at him had malicious intentions or was just genuinely amused that the boy had been so careless and had fallen. Reaching his hand out towards the boy, the messy haired man grinned.

"Here, let me help you up. You should be more careful."

Haruhisa was hesitant but finally put his hand into the man's much larger one, allowing himself to be pulled up with surprising ease just as his father and Yamaguchi came running around the corner.

"Haru!" Tsukishima called, skidding to a stop as they came around the hedge. "You know better than to just run off where I can't…" His voice trailed off as Tsukishima's eyes met the man who was helping his son to his feet. The man smirked at him as he let go of his son's hand and adjusted the duffle bag that was slung over his shoulder.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Dino Guy. Nice to see you again."


	18. Red Handed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coucou mon petit choux! So I am having such a hard time naming my chapters lately, so sorry if these titles are getting kind of lame. Haha! But non-the-less, here is the next chapter hope you all enjoy! Thank you for those who have followed and commented your support keeps me motivated and warms my heart! I love you all!

Kuroo yawned and stretched as he got off the train. He had spent a very long weekend out of town for work, attending multiple games, interviews, and press conferences for athletes and a sleepless night last night, compiling all of the information he had gathered into a cohesive article so that he could meet his deadline. But thankfully everything had gone smoothly. He had received a message from Akaashi in the early hours of the morning, just before he got on the train to head home, that his article met the editor-in-chief's standards, so he knew that he would have a few days to relax and recover.

Thankfully the train stop was right around the corner from his apartment complex. He took a shortcut through the parking lot and around the back of the building as he dug through his bag to find his keys. Just as he was about to turn and go into the entrance he felt someone, much shorter than him, run into him hard before falling back onto the sidewalk with a thud, letting out a puff of air.

Looking down he saw a boy sitting down below him, clearly only an elementary schooler, with a mop of wavy brown hair, and when he looked up at him, Kuroo he could see big brown eyes that seemed like they took in everything around him with a strangely high level of observation for a kid his age.

"Oi, hey there little man. You should watch where you are going." Kuroo reached out his hand to help the boy up as he grinned. "Here let me help you up. You should be more careful."

The boy hesitated for a moment, cautious of the stranger, but finally put his hand into Kuroo's and allowed the man to pull him to his feet. Just then he could hear someone yelling and footfalls as the voice got closer.

"Haru! You know better than to just run off where I can't…"

Kuroo looked up as the voice of the boy's father, he presumed, faded off and he felt a smirk grow on his lips as his eyes fell upon the familiar figure standing in front of him. Letting go of the boy's hand, Kuroo stood up straight again and adjusted the strap of the duffle bag that was slung over his shoulder.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Dino Guy. Nice to see you again."

Haruhisa looked between his father and Kuroo with curiosity as Tsukishima's lips turned down into a faint frown. Adjusting his glasses, then putting his hands into his pockets, the man's shoulders slumped, relaxing a little now that he knew his son was safe, though he was perplexed and slightly miffed at the odd coincidence of running into Kuroo after having just talked to Yamaguchi about him earlier that afternoon.

"Why do you insist on calling me that?" His tone was flat and unimpressed as Kuroo just grinned wider at his luck at running into him outside his apartment building.

"It's not a wrong description though," Kuroo countered.

"Uh..Tsukki?"

Kuroo looked over, the soft voice drawing his attention to the man who stood next to Tsukishima. He was slightly shorter than the blonde with dark grayish-green hair, a single strand standing up stubbornly at the top. But what stood out the most were the freckles that dotted his cheeks and the bridge of his nose like stars in the sky.

One of the first things that Kuroo observed about the pair was that Tusikishma's companion was standing rather close to the blonde, who Kuroo had noticed didn't particularly like people invading his space. Then he remembered the photo Tsukishima's son had sent him and realized that this was the same man who had been standing next to the blond, looking so comfortable in the close proximity.

Then another realization hit him as he looked down at the boy who had run into him and realized that this must be Akiyama Haruhisa, Tuskishima's seven-year-old son. Tsukishima's voice drew Kuroo's attention back to the two men.

"Right," Tsukishima said, turning towards his companion. "Yamaguchi, this is Kuroo Tetsuro, journalist at inSport! Magazine."

Kuroo didn't miss the look on Yamaguchi's face. The man looked shocked as he gazed inquisitively up at his friend. "This is…" His voice was barely a whisper but he was still cut off when Tsukishima gave him a quick, warning look, making it clear that he shouldn't say another word. It made Kuroo curious. What was it that the man had been about to say? What had Tsukishima told his friend about Kuroo?

Tsukishima then turned back to face Kuroo again. "Kuroo, this is Yamaguchi, my friend who coaches the Johzenji High School boys volleyball team."

Kuroo and Yamaguchi looked at each other and it was clear that they were both sizing each other up. Kuroo knew that, despite the mild demeanor of this man, it was clear that he and Tsuikishima had a solid friendship built on years of trust, they knew each other inside and out in a way that the journalist could only dream of being able to one day know Tsukishima.

Yamaguchi on the other hand, looked Kuroo up and down and tried not to swallow and visibly show that he was intimidated by this man's presence. Not because he was tall or built, Yamaguchi was much stronger and more fit than he appeared on the outside, but because he could now see why Tsuikishima, the man who never really noticed others or seemed attracted enough to stop and stare, admitted that this man was very attractive.

He wasn't just attractive, this man was _hot_. He was only a few inches shorter than Tsukishima and it was clear that every inch of his body was built with well-toned and cared for muscles. Yamaguchi looked up into the man's face. With his cat-like eyes and wild, spiked hair with a fringe that covered one of his eyes, he looked mischievous and playful. Yamaguchi had to fight the urge to step back, intimidated by this man's aura of pure confidence.

The men's analysis of each other was interrupted when Haruhisa suddenly burst out in excitement. "You work for inSport! Magazine, Kuroo-san? That's so cool!"

Kuroo looked down at the boy who was now looking up at him with stars in his eyes and he found great satisfaction knowing that he was so excited about his job. He was earning points with Tsukishima's son and he knew that would only help him with his goals in regard to the boy's father.

"I know, it's pretty awesome, right?" Kuroo smiled and squatted down to be more at the boy's level, balancing his weight on the balls of his feet. "I get to travel all over the country, going to sports games and meeting athletes. And I often get front row seats." His smile turned into a satisfied grin as he watched the level of excitement and adoration in the child's eyes grow with everything he said.

"That's. So. Cool!" Haruhisa paused after each word, overflowing with a bubbling excitement. He hadn't known that his dad knew someone who worked for his favorite sports magazine. "Are you coming back from a trip now? Where did you go? Did you meet any famous athletes? What was it like?" The questions came flowing out of the seven-year-old's mouth as if he was physically unable to stop the flow of them.

Kuroo chuckled, standing back up and ruffling the boy's hair before adjusting the strap of his duffle bag once again. "I met lots of athletes on this last trip actually. I saw Kochi United SC play FC Tokushima in the third round of the Emperor's Cup, I watched two matches of the V League men's V1 Division, and I saw the B League game with Sanen Neophoenix and Toyota Alvark. I got a chance to go to press conferences with each of the winning teams too. How cool is that?"

"Woah…" Haruhisa stared up at Kuroo in awe. "You got to go see all those games for work? So cool! Did you get to see the Wolfdogs play?" The boy was almost rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet with anticipation.

"Yup!" Kuroo put his hands on his hips proudly. "I even got to meet the number two player in the division who is on that team."

"So cool!" The boy was so starstruck that he didn't seem to have any other words to describe how amazing he thought it was that Kuroo was able to see all these games and meet all these famous athletes that he had only ever read about.

Tsukishima watched this interaction quietly with a raised brow, intrigued by it. He obviously knew that his son loved sports, especially volleyball, and he knew that Haruhisa loved inSports! magazine, but he hadn't expected him to get this excited about it, enough to talk openly about it with a man that he didn't know. He also hadn't really thought about the fact that, with his line of work, Kuroo would indeed be exposed to all sorts of famous athletes and that Kuroo was going to become one of his son's favorite people. It's like the world was cursing him and not giving him a choice whether or not he wanted to have Kuroo in his life.

Tsukishima's attention was drawn away from his son and Kuroo as he felt Yamaguchi shift closer to him, leaning in to whisper in the taller man's ear. "I guess I can see why you are so attracted to him."

Tsukishima let out a puff of air as he looked down at Yamaguchi with an annoyed expression, to which his friend only smiled sheepishly, albeit not sincerely apologetic, then he shrugged as if to say ' _What? It's true. Just look at him.'_ Shoving his hands in his pockets, he looked forward once again.

"Shut up, Yamaguchi," he mumbled.

"Sorry, Tsukki." Yamaguchi had to hold back a laugh at the fact that his friend was almost pouting because he might have a bit of a crush on the messy-haired journalist.

"So," Kuroo said, drawing the two men back into the conversation. "What brings you all the way over here this afternoon?"

"Haru has a playdate," Tsukishima answered simply, trying not to smirk as his son turned on him with flushed cheeks and accusing eyes. It was just too easy to embarrass the boy.

"Dad…" the boy hissed. "It's not a playdate… We are hanging out. We aren't babies."

"Oooh," Kuroo hummed with a wide grin. "A playdate, huh? Are you going to see your girlfriend?" His voice undulated in almost a sing-song tone, not bothering to hide the fact that he was teasing the boy who's cheeks were getting redder than ever.

"No!" he said defensively. "I'm hanging out with my best friend. He's a boy! His name is Sawai Toshiaki and he lives in this building."

A light of understanding crossed Kuroo's face and he smiled once again. "Ah, Sawai. I know the family. I am friends with his teacher who also lives here, Inouka-sensei is the Sawai family's neighbor. I can show you where they live."

"That's not really necessary," Tsukishima said in a flat tone but Kuroo waved his hand, dismissing the blond's veiled protest at having Kuroo tag along with them any longer.

"It's not a big deal, it's on my way anyway. They live on the second floor, right next to the stairs, and I live on the third floor so I pass by it anyway." Kuroo looked back at Tsukishima, hoping this would be enough for him to agree to spend time with him for just a little bit longer.

"Thank you, Kuroo-san," Haruhisa said, causing all three men to look at the boy who bowed to the dark-hair man.

"Tch." Tsukishima clicked his tongue quietly in annoyance. Damn his son and being a proper and polite child just like he had taught him to be. Haruhisa was playing right into Kuroo's hands and both Kuroo and Tsukishima knew it, the boy was just too innocent to realize it. Now, feeling unable to get out of it, Tsukishima just shrugged. "If it's already on your way, then thanks for the help."

Kuroo didn't even try to hide his pleasure that his plan was working as they turned and headed into the building and started to ascend the first set of stairs. Tsukishima watched skeptically as the journalist fell in line and slowed his steps to match the seven-year-old's pace and give the boy his full attention.

"You have such a cool job, Kuroo-san. It would be fun to travel and meet all those cool players," Haruhisa said, looking up at Kuroo and continuing their previous conversation. "Do you play sports Kuroo-san?"

"Yeah, not so much anymore because being an adult is busy but I find time to play, basketball and volleyball mostly."

Tsukishima watched his son as they turned the corner to go up the second half of the flight of stairs. The boy seemed to have a spring in his step as he walked. Tsukishima had never seen his son this comfortable with a stranger since he had met Yamaguchi a few days after coming to live with him.

"I play volleyball too! Well, sometimes," Haruhisa corrected. "I play in P.E. class and during after-school club with Yamaguchi-senpai. And sometimes Otousan's friends let me play with the adult club on Saturdays. Sometimes Nishinoya-senpai lets me be team captain!"

Tsukishima winced at his son giving out so much information while Yamaguchi tried not to laugh next to him. Kuroo simply smiled at the boy. "That's awesome kiddo. Do you go with your dad to the volleyball club every weekend?"

The blond behind them pressed his lips together and tried in vain to hold back a little glare. This dark-haired man was clearly a journalist and he was doing his job well right now. He was discreetly digging for information and Tsukishima did not particularly appreciate it.

"Yup! They are great!" Haruhisa beamed with pride, it was clear that he loved each of the members of the adult volleyball team and he was proud to brag about them to others. "They are the friends that Otousan went to the club with."

"What?"

Both Kuroo and Harushia stopped climbing the stairs only a few steps from reaching the top and turned around to look at Tsukishima who was now openly glaring, his eye twitching as he tried to keep his cool. Haruhisa swallowed, trying to resist stepping back to hide behind his new dark-haired friend and that was all the answer that his father needed to know that what he had suspected was correct.

Pulling out his phone, Tsukishima opened the chat between him and Kuroo and read through the most recent texts. He hardly ever texted anyone first so he hadn't noticed until now that his son had been the one to text Kuroo and that it was no coincidence that he and Kuroo had run into each other at the club.

"Haru… Why were you texting people on my phone?" Tsukishima asked, trying unsuccessfully to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"I, uh…" Haruhisa looked down, feeling guilty for disappointing his father.

"Whoa! Hey, hey Tsukishima, it's not his fault. I texted him first…" Kuroo was cut off when Tsukishima put up his hand. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath to calm himself as he felt Yamaguchi putting a tentative hand on his back.

After a moment Tsukishima looked back up and motioned for Haruhisa to come to him. Father and son walked back down to the middle landing of the staircase and Yamguchi and Kuroo watched the blond as he knelt on one knee, talking slowly with his son.

"Shit," Kuroo breathed out, barely a whisper. "It was a short text conversation. I didn't think it would get the boy in trouble."

"I think you are more in trouble than he is." Yamaguchi folded his arms as he leaned against the railing to wait for Tsukishima to finish talking to Haruhisa. Kuroo looked over at him a little surprised. This man had thus far left the impression that he was more timid and shy, but the way he spoke that sentence was blunt and clear, not rude but there was no sugar-coating. "Tsukishima doesn't like to be played with. He isn't a toy. And he is especially protective of his son."

Kuroo leaned against the railing on the opposite side of the stairs as he analyzed Yamaguchi more curiously. His words hadn't been harsh, he actually spoke very politely, but he had spoken firmly. He could see how this unimpressive man could command the attention and respect of a team and he was starting to see how he had managed to guide his team to being so highly ranked. It would not be wise to underestimate a man like Yamaguchi Tadashi.

"I can understand, even if I can't really relate to that. I don't have any kids of my own so I can't really say that I know what it's like." Putting his hands in his pockets, he glanced at the pair below them once more.

"If you want to get his attention, trying to use his son to do it is not the best strategy."

Kuroo chuckled, looking back at the freckled man amusedly. "And here I thought that you were competing."

To the man's surprise Yamaguchi didn't react much to his teasing. He didn't know that Yamaguchi had dealt with many years of pestering and teasing regarding his closeness to his friend, and though he still felt flustered inside whenever someone mentioned it, he didn't react much to it anymore.

"Tsukishima is my best friend, and has been since elementary school. He and his son are like family to me, so trust me when I say that I know him well. Don't drag Haru into any game you are trying to play. In fact, don't play games at all, just be real with Tsukishima. Things will go much better for you that way."

Yamaguchi could tell the dark-haired man was still watching him. Likely analyzing him and trying to decide if he could trust his advice about Tsukishima or not. He didn't care if he listened to his advice or not. All that he cared about was that this man not come in and make his best friend's life complicated. He knew that if 'tall, dark and handsome' really tried to get Tsukishima's attention he would probably never have a chance, but then again he had had years with Tsukishima. It seemed pretty clear that after all this time Yamaguchi was just a friend to Tsukishima, but still, this was something he cherished more than anything.

* * *

Tsukishima and Haruhisa walked back down to the landing in the middle of the flight of stairs. The young boy looked down at his feet with a frown, worried and feeling guilty for what he had done. His father was still mad but when he saw how upset his son was his anger softened and he knelt next to him, putting his hand gently on the boy's shoulder to get his attention.

"Haru, do you want to explain why you were texting someone you didn't know on my phone?" Tuskishima kept his voice even as he spoke.

"I'm sorry Otousan." The boy's big brown eyes looked up and met his father's with sincerity, sparkling with unshed tears that almost made Tsukishima stumble back. He was angry when he discovered how Kuroo had known that Tsukishima was at the club that night and the fact that what his son had done could have been extremely dangerous had he texted with someone other than Kuroo, but he hadn't meant to upset his son this much.

Tsukishima sighed and reached up, putting his other hand on the boy's opposite shoulder. "Haru, I'm upset about what happened but you aren't in big trouble," he assured the child. "I just don't understand why you would think it was okay to text someone you didn't know on my phone. That could have been very dangerous."

"But you had texted him before. I thought it was okay because you knew him."

Tsukishima frowned, pondering this. How was he supposed to explain something like this to a seven-year-old? He was sure that anyone else would have a much better way to explain to the boy how dangerous people could be. "I understand why you thought that but you still have to be careful. Can you promise that you will never do that again? You should never text someone on my phone unless I give you permission or it's an emergency. Do you understand?"

Haruhisa looked up and nodded quickly, trying not to cry. He was relieved that his father wasn't going to punish him for his mistake and swore to himself that he would never do it again. Gently Tsukishima reached around and pulled his son into a tight embrace, hoping that it would cheer him up once again so he wouldn't go to his friend's house feeling so down. After a lingering embrace, Tsukishima stood back up again and put his hand on Harushia's shoulder, guiding him back up stairs to join Kuroo and Yamaguchi before the four of them went up to drop Haruhisa off at the Sawai's residence.


	19. Escalation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coucou mon petit choux!  
> So...I'M SORRY! I promise I am still working on this and I am not going to just leave you hanging without finishing it. Between the Holidays, moving and my school semester starting (Not to mention that I am finally getting to open up and get back to work again) things have been crazy here. Not that that is a good excuse but...please forgive me! But things are kind of going back to a more normal pace so I am hoping to pick up a normal posting schedule again for all of you. So if you are still reading this, thank you! I love you and all your support, and I hope that you enjoy this next chapter of Love is Not Extinct!

Kuroo watched Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Haruhisa as they talked with Masako Sawai and her son. Leaning against the opposite wall, he waited, like he promised he would. He was calm but he couldn’t deny that there was a bit of anxiety building up in him. The look that he had received from Tsukishima when he had headed back up the stairs after talking to his son was not favorable for Kuroo. He hoped that this didn’t mess up any chances he had of getting to know the paleontologist better. That would be a bit devastating, because despite his promise to his best friend, the more he was getting to know Tsukishima in the little snippets of time he had spent with him the more he was starting to fall for him. And when Kuroo fell, he always fell hard. 

His eyes slowly raked over the tall blonde as he stood in the doorway, one hand on his son’s shoulder and the other on his hip. It was a casual enough stance, but Kuroo felt like he could drool. Did this man know how alluring he was without even trying? Calm, collected, and so cool. Kuroo had a hard time not letting his mind wonder, wondering how it would feel to run his hand along the delicate slope of his neck, ghosting his fingers down those broad shoulders. Wrapping his own long fingers around the blonde’s waist and pulling him up against him…

The sound of the door shutting drew his attention back to reality. 

Tsukishima spoke quietly to Yamaguchi, who responded, glancing hesitantly at Kuroo, before nodding and turning to head back down the stairs himself. Then Tsukishima took two steps over so that he was now in front of Kuroo, looking as unimpressed as ever. Kuroo grinned to hide his nervousness. He had no idea how much trouble he was really in but he knew it was always best not to lay all your cards on the table. 

“Do you want to give me your explanation?” Tsukishima’s voice was flat but Kuroo could hear the slight edge of impatience and irritation playing at the edge of each word. 

“Not much to explain, really,” Kuroo admitted with a light shrug as he stood up straight once again and turned to walk up the next flight of stairs. “I was trying to get a hold of you and ended up texting your son because he answered me. I asked him where you were because that’s what I would have asked you, had you been the one to answer, and he was just honest with me. It’s not like I was trying to hide anything really, just because I didn’t come out and say that when I found you at the club.” 

“Tch.” Tsukishima clicked his tongue, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. “Seriously? That’s your lame-ass excuse? You used my son to stalk me and now you’re trying to play it off like it was all some sort of coincidence. I find that very irritating. And where are you going?” 

The dark-haired man stopped with his right foot resting on the first step as he looked back over his shoulder. His hazel, cat-like eyes peered back at Tsukishima with a glint of something the man couldn’t quite place, as the corner of Kuroo’s lips lifted ever so slightly into a sly grin. “I am walking up the stairs to go to my apartment. I figured you didn’t want to just stand here and talk right outside the door of your son’s friend’s apartment. Also, I am exhausted and, though I am happy to talk to you as much as you want, I would like to at least be able to sit down and ditch this duffel bag.” 

Tsukishima hesitated as he watched Kuroo. He tried to analyze what it was that Kuroo might be planning with this, but it was hard to tell. Despite the man’s grin and the glinting look in his eyes, Tsukishima couldn’t deny that the man did look tired. He had faint bags under his eyes and his posture was slightly slack, though he could tell the journalist was trying to hide it. “Whatever,” was the only response he gave as he stepped forward and followed Kuroo up the stairs and to the man’s apartment. 

When they walked in, the place was dark and, without having to turn on the lights, Kuroo slipped off his shoes and dropped his bag by the door before stepping up the single step and into the apartment's living room. Tsukishima stepped forward but didn’t go past the step. He wasn’t about to get comfortable in the apartment of someone he barely knew, and he also wasn’t going to walk into said man’s dark apartment. That was reckless even if he didn’t feel threatened by Kuroo. 

Flipping on the light, Kuroo shrugged off his jacket, tossing in on the back of the couch, which disturbed the large calico cat that had been curled up there. This caused it to hiss and jump off the couch before meowing affectionately once she realized who it was that had just come home. 

“Hello Pansa, my pretty, little kitty.” Kuroo purred to the animal as she rubbed up against her owner's leg. 

“You  _ would  _ have a cat…” Tsukishima mumbled. 

Kuroo looked up at him. “What was that?” But when Tsukishima just rolled his eyes without responding, Kuroo shrugged with a smile. “Well anyway, about the club. I wasn’t trying to play you or be a creeper. Yes, I wanted to run into you and it wasn’t by accident, but it was simply because I wanted a chance to talk to you again. And you aren’t exactly very responsive through text.” 

“I am when it’s someone I actually want to talk to,” Tsukishima dead-panned as he leaned to the side, resting his shoulder against the wall. 

Kuroo smirked with a low chuckle. “Well damn, aren’t you salty?” His grin widened. “But fair enough. Either way, that's why I wanted to meet you again. I'm interested in you and I wanted to get to know you. You weren’t really giving me much of a chance to do that so I took matters into my own hands. Can you really blame me?” 

At the sound of a heavy sigh, Kuroo looked back at Tsukishima as the man adjusted his glasses. “Why?” 

“Why?” Kuroo parrotted as he plopped down on the couch, carefully moving a controller and game case out of the way. Kenma must have left them out when he went to bed, whatever time that had been this morning. “Why what?” 

“Why are you interested in me? I am the most boring person I know.” 

“Whoa man! Self worth check. I would hardly say you are boring, you work with dinosaur bones. That's epic.” 

“I don’t often work directly with the artifacts.” Tsukishima corrected him but Kuroo seemed to not care. 

“So you’re smart, have you shit together with a career, have a sharp tongue, which is totally hot. Well...” Kuroo smirked. “There is a lot about you that’s hot but that's not really the point i'm trying to make. What’s so odd about the fact that I think you are cool and just want to be allowed the chance to get to know you? Is it because I’m a guy? I mean I know a lot of guys who are supportive of gay friends but get super werided out by someone being attracted to them in that way. Is that what this is?” 

“I, what? No.” Tsukishima shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, which had jumped all over the place in the last few seconds. This guy thought he was hot?  _ Why is that the first thing that comes to my mind?... _ He chastised himself as he folded his arms, feeling unnecessarily defensive. “I’m not creeped out by gay things. I just don’t understand why anyone would be attracted to me. Male or female.” 

Kuroo opened his mouth astonished. He wanted to point out the fact that his little shadow that was waiting for him downstairs obviously was all hot and bothered for his childhood best friend, but he decided that it was better if he didn’t share that information. For more than one reason. 

Instead, he leaned back, putting his hands behind his head, and closed his eyes. “You need a reality check, man. You are a catch. Not to sound picky or anything, but I don’t just chase after anyone.” 

Silence rang through the empty apartment. 

The silence lasted so long that Kuroo cracked one eye open to look at Tsukishima. The blonde had a puzzled frown on his face, as if he was concentrating, trying desperately to understand what Kuroo was saying. 

With a chuckle, Kuroo stood up and, with only a few strides, managed to close the gap between the pair, causing Tuskishima to stumble back a little at the sudden close proximity. “You have clearly been out of the dating game for too long, Tsukishima.” He spoke his name without a teasing tone, wanting the man to know that he was being serious, wanting him to take these next words to heart. “You have a lot to offer. All I’m asking for is the chance to get to know you, to see if there is more to this than physical attraction and curiosity. Can you honestly tell me that you don’t feel any sort of pull toward me? Do you find me that repulsive?” 

Tsukishima’s initial shock at the lack of distance now between them had worn off and he looked into the man’s cat eyes with a serious and analyzing expression that Kuroo couldn’t quite figure out. “I don’t find you repulsive.” Was the response Tsukishima chose, skirting around the honest answer. “I never said anything like that. I believe some of the words I have used are annoying, idiotic and obnoxious.” 

And the dam broke. Kuroo doubled over, holding his stomach and laughing like a hyena, with a stupid grin on his face. Tsukishima watched him, puzzled, but the man just kept laughing, as if his reply had been the funniest thing in the world. 

Once he had finally calmed down, Kuroo stood up straight once more, that stupid, wide grin never leaving his face. “I can live with that, if it means I’m not repulsive.” Kuroo leaned forward, resting his forearm against the wall next to Tsuksihima’s head, once again getting further into the man’s space than he had been expecting. But Tsukishima was stubborn and this time he didn’t give him the satisfaction of moving back, even if it was just because he was startled. Unfortunately for Tsukishima, that response was even better than Kuroo could have hoped for. “Tell me honestly, Tsukishima Kei.” The way he spoke his full name suddenly made Tsuksihima’s throat feel dry.  _ What was this? _ “Do you find me attractive?”

Tsukishima clicked his tongue, pushing against the man’s chest, hoping to create more space between the two of them. Unfortunately, Kuroo was much more solid than Tsukishima had been expecting, so the man hardly budged. “I’m not going to sit here and stroke your ego so that you can feel better about yourself.” 

That irritating grin grew and Kuroo leaned even closer. 

“So, that’s a yes?” 

“What is your obsession with trying to get that answer from me?” Tsuksihima recalled him at the club trying to figure out, or insisting, that something he had said admitted to Kuroo that Tsukishima thought he was attractive. “Nothing that I said gives any indication as to my opinion on your looks. You are just desperate for validation.” 

“Maybe I am,” Kuroo admitted, and his honesty took Tsukishima slightly off guard. “You can’t really blame me. I find you extremely attractive, so of course I am hoping for validation, that you might find me at least  _ somewhat  _ good looking.” 

Tsukishima sighed with a frown. “And if I tell you that I find you attractive, then what? What do you want from me Kuroo?” He was tired of this game and he just wanted Kuroo to say directly what he was hoping to gain from all this. Kuroo wasn't subtle, but Tsuksishima was over this whole song and dance. His own feelings were all over the place and this wasn’t helping him at all. 

“I’ve been honest about this from the start.” Kuroo leaned in a little closer and it took all of Tsukishima’s self control to keep himself from moving back. “I like you and I want you to give me a chance.” 

“A chance?” 

“Yes. I want to see if this attraction could be something more.” His hazel eyes were dark and intense, unwavering as he looked into Tsuksihima’s warm brown orbs. “Let me take you on a date, and allow yourself to be open and honest instead of deflecting everything.” 

The paleontologist pondered this, more than Kuroo had expected him to. He looked as if he was truly giving thought to how he felt about Kuroo’s request, and it gave the man some hope. 

“You realize I’ve never dated a man before.”

Kuroo shrugged. “There is a first time for everything.” He grinned suggestively. “I promise, I'll be gentle.” 

Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “Don’t act like you’ll be getting anything from me if I agree to this date.” Tsukishima’s careful choice of using  _ if _ , didn’t go unnoticed. But Kuroo didn’t let it crush his hopes, or his playful manner. 

“Not even a kiss?” 

“I don’t really see why going on a date is a required precursor to kissing someone,” Tsuksihima said dryly. But he regretted it as soon as he saw the cheshire grin growing on Kuroo’s face. 

“Are you saying I could kiss you without taking you on a date?” 

“No.” His response was firm and emotionless. “I am simply saying that physical attraction doesn't have to be wrapped up in social obligations. If you wanted to kiss someone it’s not necessary to jump through all these rules of conduct just to test if the actual physical touch is as good as the sexual tension has brought your mind to believe.” 

Kuroo raised a brow at the man’s nonchalant openness in this area. “My, my. You are much more open about casual relations than I would have expected.”

The blonde clicked his tongue again and Kuroo couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to have that sharp tongue against his own. He had to resist the urge to swallow, his throat suddenly feeling parched. 

_ Sexual tension indeed. _

“I am twenty-four, single, never been in a serious relationship in my life, and have a seven-year-old. Do the math and tell me if it’s really all that surprising that I am not some hopeless romantic. Serious relationships have never been my thing. I believe in them, but I have never been interested in having one.” 

“Okay then, I propose an experiment.” Tsukishima eyed Kuroo suspiciously, but allowed him to continue. “Let’s test the physical attraction between us and see if it would be as good and I think it will. If it is on both ends, then you let me take you out on a date this Saturday. If it’s not, then I’ll back off and we can return to just being friends.” 

“Your proposal is flawed.” Tsukishima couldn’t help but snicker, amused by Kuroo. “Firstly, you're the only one who has admitted to having physical attraction between us. Secondly, to return to being friends would require us to have been friends in the first place.” 

The journalist wasn’t affected in the least by Tsukishima’s attempts to skirt the offer he had made and, instead, stepped forward, giving the man no choice but to stumble back a little as their bodies collided. Tsukishima felt his back hit the door and his heart rate suddenly picked up. The soft light from the living room behind them gave a dull glow around Kuroo, and the subtle shadows on his face only emphasized his well-structured features. Tsukishima felt pinned, trapped, like an animal being stalked by a predator; his instinct to run kicking in, but his reckless stubbornness kept him at bay. He wouldn’t let Kuroo win. He also wouldn't admit that something else might be holding him in place right now. 

The dark-haired man’s scent was overwhelming as he took another step, closing the gap between them once again, something fresh yet with an earthy musk, it seemed more natural than artificial. Tsukishima felt a little twist pull in his stomach, but he forced himself to look into those cat-like eyes and steel his expression, though he was coming undone inside.  _ It’s just been too long,  _ he reasoned with himself, making excuses for the way he was responding to these direct advances.  _ It’s been too long since I have had any physical interactions so my body is acting up. That's all.  _

Kuroo’s voice pulled him out of his reasoning. “I’m going to kiss you now.” The sound of it was almost a whisper, wafting in the air all around him, echoing in the sudden emptiness of his mind. In vain, he tried to focus and regain control of the situation; Tsukishima Kei did not like feeling out of control. 

“Hey, I never agreed that you could…” 

Lips pressed softly, but with burning intensity, against his own, Kuroo leaned forward, resting his forearms on either side of Tsukishima’s head. It all happened so fast. He was being kissed and his head was spinning, then the warmth moved away, though the culprit didn’t move far. His warm breath was still tickling his cheek and neck, smelling like cinnamon. 

“...kiss me.” He finished his sentence lamely, not knowing how else to respond to the sudden proximity and physical touch of a man he was just starting to get to know. But his heart pounded like a drum and it was hard to quiet down the thumping that echoed in his head. 

“I couldn’t wait forever for you to accept that you feel attraction towards me too. I see it in your eyes every time you look at me. You try to act like I annoy you to distract yourself, but it doesn’t work. You are attracted to me, just admit it.” 

“Tch.” Tsukishima clicked his tongue again, turning his head away, trying to be defiant, which only proved Kuroo’s point. He also couldn’t hide the redness rising in his cheeks, despite his efforts to stay composed. “And what? Just because I think that you are attractive, it gives you the right to kiss me without my permission?” 

“Should I remind you that you didn’t stop me?” Kuroo smirked as the taller man looked back at him with a weak glare. “You would enjoy it even more if you actually let yourself kiss me back.” 

Rolling his eyes, Tsukishima leaned his head back against the door, exasperated. “Not like you really gave me the chance,” he mumbled, only half realizing that he was speaking out loud. “You pulled back before I could really think about what was happening.” 

He didn’t have to look down to know the smirk that was growing on the cat’s face, and he felt him once again move closer. “My apologies, let me try that again then.” But this time he waited. Waited until Tsukishima looked back at him, and waited for the stubborn blonde to relent and give his consent. Kuroo was serious about this, he wanted to test the waters and he wanted Tsukishima to actually consider this. 

With a reluctant sigh, Tsukishima relented, “Fine.” He responded, his tone sharp and annoyed, but his body language spoke louder than his words. His shoulders visibly relaxed and his expression shifted to a more calm and curious one. Kuroo wondered if he looked like this often, when he was working or studying the things that fascinated him. Kuroo wanted to know more, he wanted to see the sides of Tsukishima that he so carefully tucked away behind his sarcasm and brooding demeanor. 

This time, when Kuroo leaned in, there was no resistance. He pressed his lips once again against the other man’s, slowly and deliberately, wanting to take in everything: the soft yet dry lips against his own, the sweet mint scent of his breath, and then he realized that the blond’s lips had parted ever so slightly. As promised, Tsukishima was kissing him back. Weakly and unsure, but he was actively participating and it sent a jolt of electricity down Kuroo’s spine. 

He pressed closer, putting one hand on the slim, toned waist he had been itching to touch. He parted his lips, eager to taste more of him even as he kept himself in check, not wanting to push his boundaries too far. The kiss was slow, tantalizing, and full of exquisite tension, and Kuroo knew he was falling, falling so hard he didn’t know if he would be able to survive the impact once he hit the bottom. 

* * *

“You kissed him?” Yamaguchi’s voice cracked and his outburst came out squeaky and strained. 

“Gee, Yamaguchi! Why don’t you say that a little louder, I don't think the people in the next town over heard you,” Tsukishima hissed with an annoyed look, watching his friend shrink at the glare as his cheeks reddened from embarrassment. 

“Sorry Tsukki...it’s just…” Stumbling over his words, Yamaguchi found himself fiddling with his fingers to try to relieve the nervous energy that was starting to suffocate him. “I can’t believe you kissed him. I thought you were pissed and going to chew him out.” 

The brunette looked up at his friend who simply shrugged, putting his hands deep in the pockets of his jacket. He looked indifferent, but Yamaguchi could tell that he was feeling a little uncomfortable being put on the spot about this, maybe even a bit shy. But it was also clear that he desperately wanted to talk to his friend about what happened so that he could make sense of it himself. So, Yamaguchi swallowed down the pain and jealousy, forcing himself to be open and responsive for his best friend. Tsukishima clearly needed someone in his corner right now while he tried to figure out what exactly this was between him and Kuroo, and Yamaguchi would be that person, he would always be the one there for his best friend, no matter what. 

“Okay,” he started again slowly, looking forward, not sure if he was ready to see the expressions Tsukishima would make when talking about Kuroo anymore. “So you kissed him.”

“Technically, I just let him kiss me,” Tsuksihima corrected. 

“You didn’t kiss him back at all?” Yamaguchi couldn’t help himself from looking over at the blond walking next to him. And it was hard to miss the light blush that dusted his cheeks as he adjusted the scarf around his neck. 

“Maybe.” 

Yamaguchi huffed and snickered, lifting the back of his hand to try and cover his mouth though it didn’t muffle anything. Tsukshima glared at his friend before looking forward once more, trying not to allow himself to become even more embarrassed than he already was. 

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

“Sorry, Tsukki.” Yamaguchi was still holding back giggles. “Okay, so you kissed back a little at least. And? Did you like it?” 

“Tch. What kind of question is that?” Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “He didn’t slobber all over me, so yeah, I guess so. Kissing is kissing, right? Doesn’t really matter if it’s a guy or a girl.” 

The volleyball coach disagreed completely but decided that his personal preference for gender wasn’t really the point here, so he decided not to share that opinion for now. “I guess. But I think there has to be more than just that. You have to at least have some chemistry between the two of you, right?” 

“Yeah I guess.” 

Yamaguchi waited, and when he realized that his friend wasn’t going to provide more of an answer than that he knew that he needed to push a little to get him to open up more. “So, uh... Then there was chemistry between the two of you?” 

He could see the taller man’s shoulders tense a little, resisting his normal reaction to close up and block out his friend, like he would others, when things got too personal and intimate. But this was Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima didn’t shut his friend out. Even though sometimes it was uncomfortable being so open and vulnerable with someone. 

“I don’t know, I guess so?” He shrugged, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. “I mean there’s...something. Something’s there, but I don’t know. I don’t really know what this is. The guy drives me insane. But...”

“But you keep thinking about him?” Yamaguchi finished his friend's sentence with a sad smile that he hoped Tsukishima didn’t notice. Of course he couldn’t stop thinking about him. Kuroo was funny, talented, and gorgeous, all the things that Yamaguchi knew he was not. Not that those things were what mattered most, but they still made a difference and that difference was drawing his friend in, pulling him in dangerously deep. And the worst part was, Yamaguchi couldn’t even be mad. He was happy that his friend was finally starting to open up to the possibility that he didn’t have to live alone for the rest of his life. So how could he hate that? How could he hate that Tsukishima might find some happiness, just because it was with someone else? 

Sighing heavily, Tsukishima's posture slouched forward. “Yeah. It’s infuriating but I can’t control it any more.”

The brunette shrugged, looking forward once again. “It can’t be helped. You have a crush, Tsukki.” He saw the frown out of the corner of his eye and grinned as he amended, “a small one, but a crush none the less. You are attracted to this guy, just accept it and let the chips fall where they may. Just because you have a crush doesn't mean you’ve found your soulmate.” 

“Tch. Don’t be ridiculous. That shit isn’t real.” 

Yamaguchi giggled. “I’m just saying. Don’t think too much into it. If you want to get to know this guy, then do it.” 

Tsukishima stopped walking and turned to face his friend with a curious expression, one eyebrow raised as he looked down at him. “Since when did you become this wise, old sage?” The blond smirked, a genuinely amused smile twisting onto his lips at Yamaguchi’s expense, and the brunette couldn’t stop his heart from fluttering away without him as he forced himself to pout. Both of them knew it was fake. 

“Shut up Tsukki.” He sounded like a spoiled child. They both laughed. 


	20. Floriography

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a bit off topic from the main story line and focused on one of the blooming side couples that appear throughout this story so I hope you are ready for it! (And not to fear Tsukki will be back next chapter with some new developments I think you all are going to like.)

The bell chimed in the Saukra Studio as Hinata was busy rearranging the pre-made floral arrangements in the display cooler. "I'll be right with you!" he called brightly, unable to turn around and properly greet his customer while he was balancing two vases and trying to move a third until they were arranged just right on the shelf.

"Don't rush yourself, it's just me." Hinata recognized the sound of his sister's voice followed by the creaking of the swinging partition that separated the sales floor from the employee counter. He didn't have to look over to know that she was dropping her bag unceremoniously underneath the counter before she took a seat on one of the stools. What he didn't expect was the other voice that followed.

"Good afternoon, Hinata-oniisan."

Looking over his shoulder, Hinata saw Takeda Minakami wave at him and smiled as Natsu walked back over to her classmate, holding out her hand. "I can put your bag back here with mine while we look around."

"Awesome! Thanks Hinata-san!" Takeda smiled brightly at her, and thankfully didn't notice the blush that was creeping onto her cheeks as she took the boy's bag and went back behind the counter once more. Hinata couldn't help but notice, as he usually did when he saw Takeda, how much the boy resembled his uncle. He had the same messy black hair and was around the same height. He had the same energetic and determined look in his eyes, but unlike his uncle, instead of steady brown eyes, Minakami had vibrant blue spheres that were not shielded behind glasses.

Looking over at his sister curiously, Hinata closed the glass door of the display case. He walked over behind the counter to clean up the mess from making the new display arrangements as he watched the two high school students.

"We are going to go into the cooler to look at the flowers," his sister announced without giving any more explanation. But thankfully for Hinata, Takeda filled in the blanks without needing to be prompted.

"Hinata-kun offered to help me pick out flowers and make a bouquet."

Though this only made the florist more confused. "Well, good luck then." He smiled uncertainly. "There is some moss rosebuds along the back wall if you need it." His sister glared at him. She knew exactly what he meant, this was something the two of them had done since they were children, growing up around flowers. They would often have conversations about different flowers and arrangements that seemed normal enough, but were riddled with unspoken words that only someone who was well versed in the language of flowers would be able to understand.

Moss rosebuds symbolize _confessions of love_. By mentioning this, her brother was asking if Takeda was getting flowers for a girl that he hoped to confess to, worried that his sister's heart was broken.

"No we don't need moss rosebuds," she replied, just annoyed at the thought of what she would do if that had really been the case. She might just die. "Though some zinnias and day lilies might look really nice."

Hinata nodded in understanding. The zinnia flowers of mixed colors represent thinking of or in memory of a friend, while the day lily was a known chinese emblem for mothers. Takeda's mother had died when he was young and, afterwards, his uncle, Ittetsu, and his long term partner took the boy in and had raised him ever since. Today must be an anniversary or special day involving the high schooler's late mother and his sister had offered to help him make a bouquet to take to her grave.

"Well, I would have to agree with that. Just stay away from the white lilies. They tend to be fragile." He couldn't help but grin at the blush that filled her cheeks and burned at the tips of her ears in reaction to hearing the phrase their mother would use often when talking to her about being a virtuous woman.

" _White lilies represent virginity and purity,"_ her mother would say, holding out a single white flower in front of her daughter. " _You don't go and give a beautiful flower like this to just anyone, alright? You have to save it for the right person."_

Natsu wanted to kill her brother so much right now.

"I'll keep that in mind," she said through clenched teeth as she put her hand on Takeda's back, guiding him towards the walk-in cooler. "While we are in there, perhaps I'll pull out some orange lilies, geraniums, and petunias and make a lovely little arrangement for you to set on your nightstand." Then she stuck her tongue out at her brother before the high schoolers disappeared.

Hinata chuckled to himself as he got back to work. "Hatred, stupidity, resentment, and anger. What a passive aggressive arrangement that would be." Swiping his hand across the counter, the florist swept the clippings that were scattered there into the trash bin that was now threatening to overflow. Seeing as there were no customers currently in the shop, he decided to quickly take the trash out now instead of waiting until the end of the day.

He was just coming back inside when he heard the bell from the front door ring. Quickly, he ran back into the shop to greet his customers. "Hello! Welcome to Sakura Studio!" He smiled brightly as he looked over at the three men who had just come in. They were all tall and intimidating, and Hinata had to force himself not to swallow nervously. It's not like he didn't get all kinds of customers in the shop, everyone buys flowers, but he had never had three such intense presences come in at once.

Then he squinted as he took in their appearances, dress pants, utility belts equipped with guns and handcuffs, and button-up shirts that only one of them buttoned up all the way. In the middle was the familiar scowl of the dark, raven-haired man with deep blue eyes. Today he wore a pale blue button-up shirt over a white tee shirt, with his sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms. Hinata decided that this look was nice, but that he had liked the look of the darker colors that he had worn last time he had seen him.

"Hello, Kageyama-san!" The shopkeeper forced himself to focus on doing his job rather than analyzing the intimidating and very attractive men standing in front of him. "What can I do for you today?"

"What a quaint little shop," the man to Kageyama's left said. He was the tallest of the trio, standing a few inches taller than even Kageyama, and he was the only one who wore a smile. It seemed so natural on him and made him much more inviting. The sun streaming through the window accented his dark undercut and matching, deep brown hooded eyes that stared at Hinata with a glimmer of something the shorter man couldn't quite place his finger on. "And a very cute, little shop owner. You were right, Tobio-kun."

Kageyama glared at his companion, who didn't seem to even notice the gesture. "I didn't say anything about the shrimpy shopkeeper. Don't put words in my mouth." He stuck his hands in his pockets casually and looked away, trying to hide his blush.

Hinata frowned. "Who are you calling shrimpy?…" He put his hands on his hips defensively. Maybe it wasn't the smartest idea to challenge someone who easily stood over six feet tall and had a gun on them, but Hinata Shoyo wasn't exactly known for being level headed when he felt threatened or looked down upon. Which, at his height, happened a lot.

"You obviously." Kageyama opened his mouth to say something else but was cut off by his blond companion.

"Hey, hey. Let's not fight." The man grinned and ignored the eye roll that he received from Kageyama. "We just overheard Tobio-kun talking to his sister on the phone about the flower arrangements she had him order for her last week and my brother…" He looked over in the direction that the third man had been standing, only to find the position empty, as the man, who looked nearly identical to his brother aside from his hair being dyed grey, had quietly moved over to look at the displays Hinata had been working on just this morning.

"I came to buy flowers for my girlfriend," the gray-haired man responded without turning to face the others as he continued to browse the selection of pre-made arrangements.

"Which is why I don't understand why I had to be here for this," Kageyama replied with a frown, to which the blond simply put an arm around him with a smirk.

"Because you knew where the shop was and have been here before," he reasoned, unperturbed as Kageyama shoved his arm off him. "Anyway, sorry, my name is Miya Atsumu and that's my brother Miya Osamu. We work with Tobio-kun as bounty hunters for Inarizaki Bail Bonds and…"

"You only say it that way because you want to sound cool." The man's brother, Miya Osamu, interrupted in a flat voice as he walked back over to the group. "We are bail recovery agents. Bounty hunter is an over-glorified term for what we do."

"Oh, well that sounds interesting either way." Hinata smiled, trying to ignore the way that Kageyama was staring at him intensely, glaring at him. _What had he done wrong?_ "So you are looking for something for your girlfriend. Is it a special occasion?" Hinata desperately wanted to focus on work and try to ignore the chill running down his spine. Even when he wasn't looking at him he could still feel the raven-haired man's eyes on him.

"No, not really. She is a school teacher and had a rough day. When I heard Tsumu talking to Tobio-kun about this place I figured she might like some flowers. But nothing I'm seeing really stands out to me as something fitting for her."

"Well I can put something together for you if you would like. If it's just a bouquet you want it will only take me a few minutes to put together once you have decided the flowers that you want. Does she have a favorite color?"

"Blue," Osamu responded with a nod. "And yes, thank you, I would appreciate that."

"Do you want it to have any special meaning?" The florist asked as he started to lead the shorter of the Miya brothers towards the cooler. Atsumu followed along, which made Kageyama follow simply so he wasn't left standing there awkwardly alone after it was his co-workers who had dragged him here in the first place.

"Are you talking about your flower symbolism again?" Kageyama asked. Honestly he tried to sound interested but his tone made it come out more like he was mocking the man and, as a result, Hinata scowled at him before looking forward as they entered the cooler.

"I am," Hinata responded, though he was directing his comment at the Miya brothers instead of Kageyama out of spite. "Every flower and plant has different meanings. Making a bouquet is about more than just arranging what looks pretty, it's about sending a message to the receiver.

"The color blue in flowers generally means trust and commitment, but each individual flower has its own meaning as well. The blue flowers I have that I think will go well in this bouquet would be delphiniums, which usually mean joy, fun, and happiness. Then there's blue morning glories. They are very pretty, and they symbolize deep and heartfelt emotions like trust and respect."

Natsu and Takeda looked up as the four men walked into the cooler. "Hello." Natsu waved with a smile, causing the three customers to look over at the pair of high school students while Hinata went to grab the cart to gather the flowers in.

"Those uniforms are from Johzenji High," Atsumu noted aloud. "How ironic that there would be students from Miku-kun's school here today."

"Does your girlfriend work at Johzenji High?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Mmhum." Osamu nodded. "Honda-san is a teacher there, she teaches Japanese literature."

"You're Honda-sensei's boyfriend?" Takeda asked, surprised.

"Honda-sensei is our homeroom teacher," Natsu said at nearly the same time.

Osamu looked at them curiously, pondering this information before he responded. "I sure hope that you two aren't part of the group that caused a ruckus in the cafeteria today."

"No sir! Not at all!" Takeda said quickly, clearly understanding what the bail recovery agent was referring to. "Hinata-kun and I weren't even in the cafeteria during lunch. We were at the gym, she was helping me practice receives."

Hinata couldn't help but raise a brow as he looked over at his sister curiously. Spending lunch with Takeda, just the two of them? But one look from his sister told him that if he said a word about it she was likely to throw a bucket at him. He had to fight to hide the grin forming at the corner of his lips.

Looking satisfied with this answer, Osamu looked back at Hinata, which triggered the florist to recall what he had been doing in the first place. "Right, let's finish picking out the flowers for your bouquet." Walking over, Hinata grabbed the aforementioned flowers, placing them in a bucket before looking around. "Purple and white are good colors to pair with blue flowers. I'm thinking, some gardenias, which mean you're lovely, and then crocus flowers, which symbolize cheerfulness."

Hinata carefully gathered the mentioned flowers, placing them all in the bucket together for Osamu to see. Natsu and Takeda quietly slipped out, carrying their own bucket of already decided flowers, and left the men alone in the cooler, but they all caught what Natsu was saying right before the door shut.

"He is buying flowers for Honda-sensei just because she had a bad day, that's so romantic!" Then the door to the cooler clicked shut and Hinata couldn't help but smile while Atsumu smirked at his brother.

"If you like how these look I think the symbolism is perfect. Basically, this bouquet will say that you see your relationship as one filled with a deep trust and affection, that you think she is lovely inside and out, and that you wish for her happiness and joy." Hinata finished and watched as Osamu examined the flowers and the color combinations.

"All that from a bouquet of flowers?" Atsumu asked as he put one hand on his hip over his utility belt, leaning his body slightly in the direction of the short florist.

"Yup!" Hinata beamed, glad that, unlike a certain grumpy raven-haired jerk, someone was appreciating the effort and thought that he put into these arrangements and their meaning. "Of course, there is a bit of interpretation when it comes to floriography because many flowers have more than one meaning and when you put flowers together you have to string together the pieces of the symbolism to create the message, but I think that it's a really beautiful way to express yourself to someone."

Atsumu grinned and was opening his mouth to respond, he had a smooth line planned out that he was sure would get the small ginger's attention, maybe even make him blush. But then his brother had to ruin it by speaking.

"I think these look nice. Miku will like them, thank you."

"Of course!" Hinata happily took the bucket and led the customers back out onto the sales floor. "This will take me about fifteen minutes to arrange, is that alright with you?"

"Yes," Osamu agreed. "Can you put them in one of those glass vases with a ribbon on it?"

"Absolutely."

"Thanks." The grey-haired man looked back at his companions. "Let's go get something to eat from that café across the street while we wait. I'm starving." His brother agreed easily but Kageyama just shrugged and shook his head, declining the invitation and opting to wait at the shop for them to return.

Hinata found that odd. The man didn't seem like he was comfortable in the flower shop. The last time he had been here he couldn't wait to leave after having been sent on such a troublesome errand by his sister. And ever since he had walked through the doors today he had seemed like he would rather be anywhere else but here. Yet there he was, walking over to the same bench he had sat just a week ago and pulled out his phone to wait.

_What a weird guy…_ he thought to himself, but decided it was best to just ignore him for now and get to work. He had more important things to worry about than stupid Kageyama Tobio.

* * *

The sun had long been set by the time that Hinata closed up the shop that evening. Usually, he would have the help of one of his part-time employees, but it was getting close to exams and he always tried to make sure that they got extra time off and never had to stay late so that they would have plenty of time to study.

After triple checking that everything was locked up and secure, he walked over to where he always chained up his bike behind the shop, eager to get home. Maybe he would pick up some meat buns on the way. His mouth watered at just the thought. But as he leaned over to unlock the chain on his bike something bright and out of place caught his attention.

Furrowing his brows, he stood up and reached into the little wire basket attached to his handles and pulled out a bouquet. It was not large or extravagant, but a simple bouquet with yellow tulips, sunflowers, and white camellias, with a few sprigs of italian ruscus to give the arrangement some greenery. He knew that the bouquet had been carefully arranged then wrapped gently in orange cellophane paper and tied up neatly with a pale blue ribbon.

He knew because he had been the one to make the arrangement only an hour ago, right before he had started to clean up the shop to prepare for closing. A young woman had come in, asking for a specialty bouquet, and she was very specific about what it was that she wanted. Pulling out a paper, she asked specifically for sunflowers, yellow tulips, and white camillias, then asked if he had italian ruscus and if he would add some in there. Once he had gathered the flowers, she requested them to be wrapped in orange cellophane and tied with a light blue ribbon.

But what was the bouquet doing here? Behind his shop and on _his_ bike.

Hinata tried to remember what the woman looked like. She was young, a freshman in college maybe. Brown, curly hair that fell to her shoulders and dark eyes, about his height. But nothing about her really stood out to him. He was also positive that he had never seen her before.

As he turned the flowers around in his hand, he noticed a slip of paper in between one of the tulips and a camilla. That was not something he had put there. Gently, he pulled the paper out and set the flowers back in his basket before unfolding it to find a short note written in sloppy but, thankfully, legible handwriting.

_**Warmth burns against my skin like an orange light when I'm near you,** _

_**But I feel as calm as a blue summer sky.** _

_**You smile, and it shines like the sun, bright and blinding,** _

_**Yet I find it adorable.** _

_**Something about you makes adoration bubble up inside of me.** _

_**It leaves me thoughtful, leaves me humbled.** _

_**You've imprinted these symbols on me,** _

_**And now I show them to you,** _

_**Show you the feelings you've made me feel.** _

Hinata stood there for a long time, just staring at the paper, rereading the note over and over again until the words started to blur together in his mind. _A poem?_ Someone had written him a poem and used flowers to do it. He felt a huge grin creeping up his cheeks as he thought about it. It was all there: yellow tulips - there is sunshine in your smile, sunflowers - adoration, white camellias - I find you adorable. Even the italian ruscus filler had it's meaning, thoughtfulness and humility. Every piece of the bouquet had been carefully decided beforehand to represent something very specific. This bouquet was a message for Hinata, a poem of sweet flowers.

He hardly remembered the ride home, except that he was extra careful so that he wouldn't damage the precious bouquet. He ate dinner, watched some T.V., and got ready for bed in a blur. The only thing his mind could focus on were the words that had been written on the small sheet of paper in that silly, sloppy writing.

_And now I show them to you, show you the feelings you've made me feel._

And those words, echoing in his head, was the last thought he had before he finally drifted off to sleep.


	21. Tonight

“Dachi!” half the group exclaimed suddenly, causing Yamaguchi to fumble with his receive and send the ball flying straight into Hinata’s face. It fell back to the floor, bouncing twice, before slowly rolling off. 

“Good job Yamaguchi, perfect aim.” Tsukishima smirked, as his friend cringed, holding out his hands in concern for their bright haired teammate. 

“Are you okay Hinata?” Yamaguchi asked. But Hinata seemed completely unphased, the same bright smile that had been plastered on his face since the moment he had arrived that morning didn’t even falter. Of course, Hinata was always full of energy, and he was used to getting hit in the face with the balls, but today the energy was different around him. 

Hinata held up his hand, pressing his thumb and forefinger together to make the  _ okay _ sign as he grinned from ear to ear. “No worries!” He turned his attention back to Sawamura who had now crossed the room to join them on the court. His arm was wrapped loosely in a sling to prevent the weight of his appendage from tearing his stitches, but other than that he was looking great and in good health. Though they all had gotten the updates from Sugawara it was nice for them to actually see Sawamura in person, to know he really was alright. 

“I’m fine guys.” Sawamura chuckled as the group gathered around him with mixed expressions that ranged from joy to relief to concern. “Really, it’s nothing big. Nothing to fuss over.” 

“Sawamura-san?” 

Sawamura glanced down to see Harushia looking up at him, those big brown eyes sparkling with concern, and it warmed his heart. Reaching up, the boy tugged on officer’s shirt gently. “Hey, Haru-chan.” He smiled warmly and reached over with his uninjured hand to ruffle the boy’s already messy hair. 

“Did it hurt a lot when you got shot?” He had such an innocent expression on his face as he continued to stare at the man intently. 

“Not too bad, the bullet only grazed me,” Sawamura assured the boy as he knelt down to be at his eye level. “Don’t worry kid, okay? Yui and Tenshi-chan are taking very good care of me.” 

Haruhisa’s mouth twisted into a confused pout. “Sawamura-san… Tenshi-chan is a baby… She can’t take care of you…” The whole group erupted into laughter at the boy's comment and Haruhisa just looked from Sawamura to his dad, confused as to why everyone was laughing at him. 

“You’re right, Haru-chan.” Sawamura chuckled again as he stood up, turning his attention to the rest of the group again. “Part of the reason I came today, other than just wanting to see you, was that Yui wanted to invite you all over for dinner tonight. She is really grateful for all the support from you guys this past week.” 

Both Nishinoya and Hinata immediately jumped into the air, pumping their fists and cheering in unison. “Yeah! Free food! Yui-chan’s cooking! Whoo!” 

“Oh yeah! Count me in.” Kinoshita grinned and Narita nodded in agreement, which was quickly followed by a variation of nods and agreements from most of the team. 

“I can’t make it.” Tsuksihima was the only one to turn down the offer as he was downon one knee to the side of the group, re-tying his shoe. 

“Whaaa?” Hinata exclaimed overdramatically as the team turned towards the blond. “You are turning down Yui-chan’s cooking!” 

Tsukishima looked up at the orange-haired spiker with an uninterested expression before turning his attention back down to his shoe. “I didn’t say I didn’t want it, don’t act so offended. I said I can’t make it.” 

“Otousan has a date tonight,” Haruhisa explained and his father froze. He could feel the eyes of the whole group now on him and he didn’t have to look up to know the varying expressions of shock that would be plastered on each of their faces. Calmly, he looked over at his son with a raised eyebrow, wondering where he had gotten that idea from. Shyly, Haruhisa shrunk back, grabbing onto the side of Yamaguchi’s shirt. “That’s what Yamaguchi-sensei called it when you were talking last night… I heard you when I got up to get a drink. Kuroo-san asked you on a date tonight and you said yes.” 

“Ooooh!” Tanaka howled, way too loud for Tsukishima’s liking, as the man put his hands on his hips with a large grin that irked Tsukishima. “Look at you man! Got the girl’s asking you out. Nice!” He held up his hand for Tsukishima to fist-bump, which the blond ignored as he stood up. 

“Kuroo-san isn’t a girl,” Harushia, oh so helpfully, added, and his father sighed as the looks of shock returned on the team’s faces. Tanaka's hands dropped awkwardly. 

“Hey, hitting for the other team, huh Tsukishima?” Nishinoya grinned and Tsukshima had the urge to punch the libero. “Nice!” 

Sighing once again, Tsukishima put his hands on his hips, knowing that now there wasn’t really a point in trying to keep this from his friends. His son, bless his innocent heart, had been far too open already and didn’t understand what he had done wrong, so Tsukishima couldn't really be upset with him about it. 

“Not exactly,” he corrected Nishinoya. “I’ve never had a preference either way. Yes, technically, I am going on a date. But it’s not a big deal. It's a first date and I don’t really know him all that well yet.” 

“Kuroo-san is cool!” Harishia added, excited to talk about his new friend and not realizing his father’s annoyance that he was giving away so much information. “He works for  _ inSport! _ magazine! And he gets to go to all sorts of sports games and meet famous players. He even got to see the Wolfdogs play and meet the team!” 

Trsukishima tried not to cringe at the stars in his son’s eyes. He had just met Kuroo this week and he already idolized the guy. He couldn’t blame his son though. For a child who loved sports, Kuroo had one of the coolest jobs they could imagine. Plus, Kuroo was charismatic and seemed especially good around children. He had easily drawn his son in and Tsukishima still didn’t know how he felt about that. But he couldn’t really say that Kuroo was all that bad… not entirely at least. 

“He works for  _ inSport! _ ?” Hinata chirped, literally jumping back into the conversation. “That’s so cool!”

“I know, right?” Haruhisa matched the man’s enthusiasm and Tuskishima had a hard time believing that the short spiker was his age and not his son’s. 

“Have you met him, Yamaguchi?” Sugawara asked curiously. His tone was light, so no one picked up on the hidden question that lay behind his curiosity. But Yamaguchi knew. Yamaguchi knew exactly what Sugawara was worried about. He was the only one who knew about Yamaguchi’s struggles with his unrequited love for his best friend, the one Yamaguchi confided in about it, and one of the few people he knew who really understood what it was like loving someone who would likely never love you back in the same way. 

Yamaguchi grinned shyly, reaching up and scratching the back of his head. “Yeah, briefly. He seems pretty cool,” he admitted 

“Yeah, but…” Nishinoya leaned in with his hands on his hips, staring so intently at the freckled man that he almost stepped back with intimidation. “Is he hot?” Nishinoya grinned and Yamaguchi’s cheeks flushed, embarrassed at the blunt question and that Nishinoya was asking him this because, out of the pair of friends, Yamaguchi was the openly gay one, and the fact that they all knew Tsukishima wouldn’t give them an honest answer even if they asked. 

“Well,” Yamaguchi chuckled nervously. “Yeah… Yeah, he is really good looking.” He knew that his cheeks were flushing more, having admitted that his rival, if you could even call him that, was extremely attractive. But he couldn’t deny it even if he wanted to. 

Haruhisa looked up at Yamaguchi and, thankfully for the high school teacher and the boy's father, changed the subject. “Yamaguchi-sensei? Can we go to Sawamura’s dinner even though Otosan can’t?” 

“Of course.” He smiled, looking down at the boy. “We were invited after all.” 

Haruhisa grinned, pleased, before running back over to the court, which encouraged the others to join him and begin their practice, switching their focus from their social lives onto volleyball, and Tsukishima was grateful.

* * *

“I don’t see why this is necessary,” Tsukishima grumbled. He had his back turned to Yamaguchi and Haruhisa, who sat on his bed, watching him look through his closet. Tsukishima was wearing a pair of clean, dark colored jeans and a faded brown leather belt, his chest bare, as he searched through his shirts. “I know how to dress myself. It's not like I need advice.” 

“It’s part of the experience,” Yamaguchi said with a shrug and Tsukishima looked back at him with a bored expression, raising a single eyebrow. 

“What are we? High school girls?” 

Yamaguchi snickered, bringing his hand up to his mouth. “Come on Tsukki, it’s not like that.” 

With a roll of his eyes, Tsukishima turned back to his closet and pulled out a plain, steel blue tee shirt before pulling it over his head. He moved around a few more hangers before pulling out a dark grey knitted sweater and pulled that on as well. Fixing his glasses, he turned to face the pair on his bed, holding out his hands in the most sarcastic manner he could manage. “Does this live up to your standards of  _ date appropriate  _ attire?” Yamaguchi snicked again, his eyes sparkling, as Tsukishima’s son grinned, giving his father two thumbs up. 

With a sigh, he rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he turned back around, shutting his closet and looking in the mirror that covered the entirety of the closet door. He looked put together, he decided. The sweater made his outfit look a little nicer than what he would wear just going out of the house but the jeans kept the look casual enough that he didn’t look too dressed up. The last thing he wanted was for it to look like he was trying to look nice for Kuroo. He would never hear the end of it from him if that was the case. 

Reaching up, he flattened his hair a little before walking over, next to Yamaguchi, to grab his phone and wallet from the night stand, slipping them into his pocket before putting his watch on his left wrist. “Are you two going to come back here after Daichi’s dinner party or go back to your place?” he asked, looking over at his friend who was watching him with a funny expression on his face that Tsukshima couldn’t quite understand. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” Yamaguchi’s eyes met his, full of innocence. “I’m not looking at you like anything. But, we will probably just come back here in case you don’t get home till late. Plus, I want to hear all about it once you get back.” 

“Tch. Whatever,” was his reluctant agreement. Though he knew that even if Yamaguchi didn’t ask he would have ended up talking to him about it anyway. Tsuksihima wasn’t one to have  _ heart-to-heart  _ conversations or get all mushy but Yamaguchi was his best friend, he was the person he opened up to and, though he would never admit it, the one whose opinion he valued more than most. What Yamaguchi thought and his view on things, especially when it came to feelings, was what Tsukishima relied on to sort out what he was feeling and what he wanted. He knew he was an unnecessarily stubborn person, he wasn’t in denial about that. 

The pair followed Tsukishima as he walked out of his room and down the hall. He slipped his shoes on before sliding into his jacket. Just as he reached for the door he felt tiny arms wrap around his waist as his son hugged him tightly. 

“Bye Otosan.” Harushia squeezed him, looking up at his dad with a smile. “Have fun!” 

The corner of Tsukishima’s lip twitched into a faint smile as he reached down, ruffling his son’s hair, before putting his hands on the boy's back to return the hug the best he could with their height difference. “You have fun too. Be good for Yamaguchi, okay?” 

“Yes sir.” Haruhisa pulled back and smiled. Both he and Yamaguchi waved to him one last time before Tsukshima left the house and headed towards the train so that he could meet Kuroo downtown. 

It only took him twenty minutes to get to the restaurant they had agreed to meet at. He was a few minutes early so he was surprised to see Kuroo was already there, waiting for him. Leaning against the wall just outside the door, with one knee bent and his foot tapping against the brick, Kuroo Tesuro looked like something out of a magazine. He wore a stylish black jacket over a dark red button-up shirt with the top few buttons open revealing his black tee shirt underneath. His jeans were faded and looked designer, but his hair was still as wild as ever and somehow he made it look like it was all part of the style he was going for. Tsukshima still couldn’t decide if his hair was just naturally a disaster or if he did it that way on purpose. 

He was only a few steps away when Kuroo noticed him approaching. The man grinned, putting his phone in his pocket, and stood up straighter, away from the wall, taking a step towards him to bridge the gap between them. 

“Hey.” A lazy smirk painted his face. “Glad you could make it.” 

“I said I would,” Tsukshima replied dryly. “How long have you been waiting out here.” 

“Ten, maybe fifteen minutes,” he said with a shrug as they both turned and headed towards the door to go inside the restaurant. 

“Why?” Tsukishima asked as they stepped through the doors, both shrugging off their coats. “It’s freezing outside. You could have just waited in here you moron.” Kuroo chuckled, holding out his hand in an offering to take the blond’s coat for him as a hostess came up to them. 

“Table for two?” The girl asked with a polite smile as Kuroo decided to take Tsukishima’s jacket without waiting for him to hand it to him, causing Tsukishima to just roll his eyes. 

“Yes. I have a reservation. The name is Kuroo.” Kuroo grinned at the young woman and she flushed, a silly little smile appearing on her lips. Tsukishima had to wonder if he did this to people on purpose or if he was unaware of his affect in some situations. Though he had a hard time believing that this egotistical rooster wasn’t aware of his natural charm. He had tried to use it on Tsukishima too many times for him to believe otherwise. 

“Of course. Right this way.” The hostess cheerfully began to lead them to their table. 

“I didn’t wait inside,” Kuroo said, leaning in closer to Tsukishima as they followed the hostess, whispering low, and Tsukishima didn’t want to admit how the sound sent a chill down his spine. “Because I was afraid that you might get here and then change your mind and leave.” And that stupid grin spread across his lips. 

“Tch.” Tsukshima clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes as Kuroo chuckled and pulled back a little bit, though he was still walking rather close to him, their arms brushing as they moved forward. 

“You smell really nice by the way.” 

Tsukishima glared at him, though only half-heartedly, as they reached their table that sat in the corner of the shop with windows on both sides. “You are way too comfortable getting into people's personal space, you know?” 

To that Kuroo only chuckled as he thanked the hostess. She handed them their menus, assuring them that their waitress would be with them momentarily to take their order before she left. “You didn’t seem to mind so much at my place the other day.” 

Tsukishima’s jaw dropped momentarily before he fixed his hard gaze on his companion with annoyance. “You sure don’t waste any time bringing something like that up. And that has nothing to do with this.” 

“What can I say?” The journalist smirked with a shrug as he picked up his menu and started glancing through the items. “I am an open person, and I say what’s on my mind. At least you’ll never have to wonder what it is I’m thinking. I would think that would be an attractive quality.” 

“Tch.” Tsukishima rolled his eyes, picking up his own menu to look at his options. “That depends. There is a time and a place for that. And two minutes into a date, out in public, talking about an impromptu kiss with someone, is not really the time or the place.” 

Kuroo put down his menu, placing his elbows on the table as he leaned forward and rested his chin on the palms of both of his hands. The smirk on his lips was sly and predatory as he watched the blond examine the menu in front of him calmly. “Oh, so you  _ are _ open enough to admit that this is a date.” That got Tsukishima to glance up at him from the menu, trying to keep an indifferent expression on his face though he was annoyed and even a little embarrassed. “That’s good to know. I also hope that you know, I am hoping that that little,  _ impromptu _ incident will be happening again very soon.” 

The blond rolled his eyes, adjusting his glasses, as he looked back down at the menu again. “You are ridiculous… Why did I agree to this again?” 

“Because you are interested in me.” Kuroo didn’t fail to notice how the tips of the paleontologist’s ears seemed to be shaded a pretty color of pink, which only made his smirk grow into a wide grin. “And...” He dropped his voice to a low whisper as he leaned in closer, drawing his date’s attention back onto him. “Because, whether you admit it or not, you’re hoping that the impromptu kissing will happen again too.” 

Try as he might, Tsukishima couldn’t keep control of his expression and he could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks.  _ Damn this pretentious, self absorbed prick…  _ He swallowed, having to look away from Kuroo to get himself under control again.  _...Dammit, he is right…  _


End file.
